"Offended"

"Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come!"  Luke 17:1

When I said yesterday that I had been battling trying to keep my emotions and attitude in check because of the expectations of others and their demands upon me, I didn't realize that three things were going on. 

1)  These expectations by others and the way I would handle them was a test that revealed what was in My own heart.  Was anger there?  Was bitterness there?  Was revenge there?  And so on.  It showed me something about what was in my own heart.

2)  It was also the enemy trying to get to my heart and "poison" it.  He had come to steal, kill and destroy.  Steal Christ character and the Fruit of the Spirit in me.  Kill my desire to be who I should be to others regardless of how they are to me.  Destroy my relationships, my witness and my heart of compassion.

3)  I didn't realize what the "biggy" was that the enemy was trying to do to me until later.  He was trying to get me to be offended and thereby plant a root of offense in me.  Offense is a terrible thing.  It is like a root on a plant and when it gets a firm hold in the soil of your heart it will begin to produce a weed which will produce fruit.  That fruit is not good fruit either.  It is poisonous.  

One minister calls offense the "bait of satan".  Jesus said that offenses will come.  Everyone is tempted to take offense over something.  Usually that something is something small-- though not always.

None of us escape the temptation to be offended.  It is a weapon of the enemy that he uses at one time or other against us all.  Offenses will come, that is not the issue.  The issue is what will you do with them when they do.  If you embrace them, if you hold on to them, if you act upon them, if you let them hardened your heart, if you let them breed unforgiveness, bitterness, hate, malice, resentment, revenge, etc. then in the end you will be the one who will be destroyed by offense.  That is just what the enemy wants.

If you are offended toward someone, for whatever the reason, you need to let it go.  You need to repent for taking up the offense.  You need to ask the Lord to cleanse your heart.  When you do, you will be freeing your own self from the snare that is meant to destroy you. 

Have a great day.  We all have opportunity to be offended-- the devil will see to that-- but what will you do with the offense when it comes?