So, I've been at a Leader's Conference - thus the lapse in my blogging - sorry.
Our guest speaker has been on about Unity - the purpose and power of it for mission. I'm sold.
If you haven't checked out the Transformation series of DVD's - they are powerful evidence of unity being a means of winning whole people groups to Jesus.
Today was about offense - and it was a good word. Worth sharing:
The reality of OFFENSE:
1. We give offense - we try not too but it's inevitable really - we are all people and we are all different... we give offense.
2. We take offense - this is where some choices come in - we don't have too but we often TAKE offense. Justyn Rees (the speaker and reconciliation expert) suggests that offense is a bait that satan uses to trap US... that's the rub - we think taking offense will 'get' the other person back but in the end it is a trap for us. It's satan's way of ensnaring us.
So what to do?
3. Be QUICK to forgive offenses... don't let the sun go down/love keeps no record of wrongs/forgive one another and bear with each other in love/ etc... (you get the idea).... scripture is clear that the way we battle offense is to forgive it QUICKLY and COMPLETELY.
easier said than done. I want to live offense free. Not in some weird reality where I think I'll never be offended or ever cause offense... but I want to be like teflon - where the offense is given but not taken... I don't want to fall into the trap of take the bait. Want to join me?
6 comments:
I'm in! Actually, I've been reading a book by John Bevere called, "The Bait of Satan: Living Free from the Deadly Trap of Offense." I highly recommend it.
Blessings on you!
Deb
Its a really important place for leaders to be. I find that even when the last thing you want to do is cause offense that people take it. I suppose if we want to lead people in the way that God would have us do, then we need to model not taking offense. Easier said than done though? Isn't it?
John Bevere's book is a helpful tool - Deb... thanks for the tip... and Andrew you are very right... modeling is the battle... the pressure is on.
Danielle
I'm with you Danielle. Sometimes it is so easy to take offense at what to the other person might be an innocent thing. Sometimes even our own insecurities cause us to easily take offense.
satan knows exactly what the bait can be. So I vote to live offense free, to actively seek to forgive quickly and completely. You pretty much nailed down what I learned from Justyn.
Blessings
Lisa Mac
One thing I learned from my darling husband is about assuming the best about people... that's one way to limit the amount of offense taken.
C
Sometimes i wonder if we would even 'take offense' if we were standinging in Jesus' righteousness instead of our own.
Or is it a symptom of not fully walking in relationship with Him (whereby HIS reaction to things would outweigh or at least moderate our flesh's.)
Or is it a sign that we are not pursuing HIS (immutable) GOALS and are instead pursuing our (fragile) own?
Offense is King in my life... but Jesus is teaching me.
Something I've noticed about false accusation is that it reveals to you EXACTLY what is in the OTHER'S heart... and how to PRAY FOR THEM.
Its also one of the best touchstones to see how YOU are standing/walking/seeking. :)
Post a Comment