Take No Offense - Guest Blog by Linda Fender
When God wants to get his point across, He sure knows how to do it. He's kind of sneaky that way! Take for instance a sermon I heard two years ago. (Dayspring Christian Fellowship church) I typed the important parts of the message I wanted to remember on my Memo app on my phone. I am sure I referred back to this several times in the week or two that followed, gleaning more valuable nuggets of wisdom. But then, as life would have it, things piled up and the sermon notes got buried. Out of sight, out of mind.
Buried that is, until a few days ago when by some mysterious technological mumbo-jumbo these sermon notes magically REAPPEARED on my home screen and I couldn't make them go away (ok, I HAVE been accused by my grown children of not being the most tech-savvy mama there is, but I am still going to chalk this up to a heavenly intervention. Mother's prerogative.)
So now, every time I open my phone, these sermon notes are right in front of me, begging for more gleaning. This is what I have been thinking on and want to share with you in hopes it just might help someone else too. If we have ever lived in a time when it's easy to get offended, this is it. Here are some good reminders on how to avoid this pitfall.
When someone offends me, look at their heart and not their action. Always go after the heart motive. Learn who a person really is. Not just what they say or do. (Reminds me of a Bobby Vinton song “To know, know, know you, is to love, love, love you.....”
I can't stop myself from being a victim of offense. No one asks permission before they offend me. But I do have a choice of whether or not I will be offended. Proverbs 19:11 “The glory of God is to overlook an offense”. When I choose to overlook an offense, I am reflecting God's goodness and glory.
I can't change the offense, but I can choose to not be offended. I can choose to protect that person and COVER their offense rather than talk about it and offend even more people in the process.
Let it go. Jesus prayed “Father forgive them for they know not what they do”. The prefix of the word forgive is “fore” which means BEFORE. The suffix is “gifen” which means TO GIVE. FORGIVENESS BY IT'S VERY NATURE is given BEFORE an offense even occurs. When we forgive a person, we free them from the power of holding them guilty.
Avoid the trap. Offense is always a trap set for us. We have a choice as to whether or not we will fall into it. If we take the bait we fall into a hole and become surrounded by walls of bitterness that are hard to climb out of.
Character development and the Fruit of the Spirit often grow best in toxic environments. (ugh!)
E.R.O. Event>Response>Outcome. The offending EVENT can't be changed. But the OUTCOME can. And it all depends on what happens in between. How we RESPOND affects the outcome.
Hold your peace. The enemy know exactly what buttons to push to offend you. Live in a place where your peace can not be easily lost. (that's a whole other sermon) .
Instead of reacting in anger, listen... don't talk.
Think... don't assume.
Be humble. Don't start thinking “I deserve to be treated better”.
Love always wins. Love is not easily offended. Love covers a multitude of sins. Love is eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace.
See how sneaky God is? I guarantee He just snuck His word into another heart today !
Isaiah 55:11 “So shall the word be that goes forth from my mouth. It will not return empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. “
Linda lives in the beautiful Ozark hill county of Missouri. She is a retired elementary teacher and does her best thinking while on a nature trail, kayaking, or driving along country back roads in her jeep. She and her husband have 3 grown children and have recently joined the "Grandparent's Club". Linda sees herself as a simple country girl trying to walk in her Father's shoes.
