Do you ever find yourself offended by people’s comments or behavior? People lie, they are selfish, irresponsible, rude… but what if being offended is exactly what the enemy wants us to feel?
Being offended keeps us from communicating
When we are offended by others, we avoid sharing our thoughts and feelings with them. We shut them out instead of being honest about how they made us feel which would allow for forgiveness. Instead, our negative feelings fester and we either shut down or act out from hurt or anger. Our offense keeps any healing from taking place.
Being offended keeps us from seeing another person’s perspective
Choosing to be offended makes us focus on our own thoughts and feelings. Offense not only becomes the lens we see everything through but also a blinder that keeps us from seeing another person’s point of view. When we hold tightly to our opinions instead of being open to another way of seeing the situation.
Being offended keeps us from growing personally
The enemy knows just how to push our buttons! Playing on our insecurities, fears, or self-worth keeps us in a closed, protective state of mind. More often than not, people do not consider our thoughts and feelings in the things they do. But the enemy likes to tell us that their behavior is about us and was intended to hurt us. When we harbor offense, we can’t deal with issues we may need to address within ourselves because we are too busy being hurt and angry by our offender.
Unfortunately, we make it very easy for the enemy to keep us bound up in offense. When we continue to take the bait and choose to be offended, the enemy wins! God alone is the only One who has the right to be offended by the behavior of people. And yet, He gave His Son as a sacrifice for all offenses. Jesus never allowed the enemy to bind Him up in offense of all mankind’s faults and failures. He chose to love us and forgive us by dying for us. We can choose to be offended by the shortcomings of others, or we can choose to claim the blood of Jesus that washes it all away. We are set free and the enemy fails. Not today, Satan, not today…
Be blessed!
Jennifer
“And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us.” Matthew 6:12