An old cowboy preacher had a worn old leather bound
book labeled, "Gripes of Brethren Against Brethren." When one of the members
came to him griping about another member he would say, "Here is my gripe
book, I'll write down your gripes about your brother, and you can sign
it. Then when I have time I will ride over and take up this matter in an
official manner." The site of the open book and the ready pen had its effect.
"Oh, I don't reckon, I can't sign something like that!" they would say.
In forty years the old cowboy preacher never got anyone to write a line
in his book.
(borrowed from Bible Basics)
Jesus said that if we had anything against our brother we should go to him and make things right (Matthew 5:23-24). That was the point the old cowboy preacher was making with his book. If we have a gripe about our brother, we need to go to that brother and work it out, not gripe to everyone else!