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When we have extended time with friends, family, or loved ones certain “times of intense fellowship” can occur. Those events can steal precious hours and days of our life. How do we take precautions? Are we prepared for the deadly effects of OFFENSE? We need to be prepared because it’s coming!
Offense Is A Lonely Place To Be
Offense creates a fence that keeps out the good and holds in the bad. Even though we intend to keep out the bad, we’re doing the opposite. It is a lonely place, although it holds regular pity parties. These parties are not well attended because it’s usually just us and the devil. We need to decline the next invitation and kick the enemy in the teeth by enjoying our life no matter what others have said or done to us.
Offense WILL COME!
Then He [Jesus] said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come! (Luke 17:1)
We’re going to have offenses so we need to think about what we’re thinking about. When we hurt, we hurt other people. Judas betrayed Jesus (Luke 22:47-48), Peter denied Jesus (Luke 22:59,58,60) and on the cross in the midst of agony, Jesus said, “Father forgive them…”(Luke 23:34)
Offense Limits Us – With A Fence – An Unforgiving Attitude
In reality, we THINK we can make people pay. When we think that, we end up being the ones who pay. In Psalms 119:165, it reads, nothing shall offend them… In 1st Corinthians it reads, love never fails, love doesn’t puff itself up…(1 Corinthians 13:4,8)
We Don’t Deserve To Be Talked To Like That!
Sometimes we value ourselves more than others, this is called self-preservation. We place ourselves on a pedestal above others and think things like, “We don’t deserve to be talked to like that!” We often don’t realize our mindset WHILE we are impatient with someone else. We quickly realize it when we need patience and forgiveness from others.
Jesus Gave Us A Heads Up, We Need To Be Prepared
Offenses WILL come. Jesus said so. We cannot allow the enemy to hook and reel us in when God has redeemed and freed us from it! I’d like to encourage you today to give grace, patience and forgiveness to others. Let’s be patient with the person who cut us off in traffic, the slow checkout clerk, or the person who snapped at us.
Join me in keeping our emotions in check, forgiving, and not getting in God’s way, as He wants to love others through us, right where they are at in THIS moment.
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