Has anyone ever said something to you that stopped you in your tracks. You are listening intently right up to that point when out of no where they make that statement. You know the one I am talking about. That statement that causes you to shut down and lick your wounds. The kind of statement that you perceive was designed to attack you in a personal way. It is a statement of offense. We have all been there. That place when we shut down and look for a way to escape the conversation which we perceive is meant to attack us.
It is in that moment that we are faced with an extraordinary challenge. We must somehow reject the natural inclination to allow offense to settle in the fertile soils of our mind. Inviting a seed that is designed to eventually produce a lack of perspective, bitterness, and even revenge. All because we failed to recognize the gravity of power a seed of offense can have in our life and how it can influence the decisions of our life.
You have a choice! It is your choice whether you want to be an offended person or not. First you must realize that offense is something that invites Satan to come into your life. Many people have labeled a offended person as someone who has a Spirit of offense. There is a lot of truth to that. Why? Because that is exactly what Satan is trying to do in each of us. He is trying to steal, devour and destroy you. (These three things are the vision icons in Hell, Steal, Devour, Destroy) So he uses settle methods to accomplish his plan. When we latch on to an offensive comment we are opening the door for a spirit of offense invade our life.
This is where we as Christians must stand up and live the Scriptures. We do not battle against flesh and blood, but spiritual forces that are waging war against us. Do we get it? God is telling us that we are to recognize that we are fighting in a spiritual realm and therefore, must respond in kind. How does that translate to life? It means that we are to lean of God through the Cross to give us the ability to LOVE and FORGIVE people who are either willfully or unwillfully offending us. Sure you may have a right to be angry, but eventually you need to release that offense from your memory bank.
Think with me for a moment. Have you ever said something or done something that has offended someone so deeply it destroyed your relationship or at the very least put a wedge in it. Everyone of us are guilty! We have all done something that is offensive to others. In those situations it is our hope that those we have hurt would find it in their heart to forgive us, for things we either didn't mean or wished we didn't say. This is the answer. The Bible says, that we will reap what we sow. It is a principle that reigns true in this matter.
When we become people who release a spirit of forgiveness and of love, the seed of offense will be destroyed and the spirit of offense will not be able to come into our life. We overcome offense by loving and forgiving the offender. Then as we practice this in our life, we will begin to reap the same response from those around us who we unfortunately say something offensive too.
You may be reading this blog today thinking that you are fine. The interesting thing about people who have a spirit of offense cannot always see it. Ask someone that you know and trust, if they think you are offended by someone. Be sure not to ask someone that may also share in your offense. But a neutral person that will be honest with you. You will find that dealing with offense in the right way will be great Joy and a sense of Liberty that God desires for your life. Turn every offensive moment into an action of Grace! Isn't that what Christ wants.
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