Help! I'm Offended!
April 2014
"Love is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong].
1 Corinthians 13: 5 AMP
"Understand [this], my beloved brethren. Let every man be quick to hear [a ready listener], slow to speak, slow to take offense and to get angry." James 1:19 AMP
of·fend·ed
əˈfendid/
resentful or annoyed, typically as a result of a perceived insult.
Are you offended? Most people immediately will say, "Not at all! I don't let people bother me like that child!" BUT deep down you are either very resentful, irritated, or very annoyed because of a PERCEIVED insult! Today, we are going to talk about the trap of being offended, let some things go once and for all, and avoid this deceitful trap of the enemy in the future. We live in a world where people are not always nice. Sometimes people feel that they have a "right" to be mean, but then there are those that are mean and nasty for no apparent reason. One day they are your SISTER or BROTHER and the next......they don't even want to talk to you or acknowledge that you are alive. lol! At first, it doesn't "seem" to bother you, after all "people come and people go," but the more you think about it, dwell on it, and the more you see their face pop up on your newsfeed (if there hasn't been a deletion lol!) you find yourself getting more and more irritated, annoyed, irked, and just plain aggravated by the mere mention of their name. Friend, this type of attitude is not pleasing to God. He knows that offense stunts our growth and keeps us from living the abundant life that He preordained for us to live. So how do we let it go and avoid the trap of being offended?
"And Jesus, replying, said to them, Have faith in God [constantly]. Truly I tell you, whoever says to this mountain, Be lifted up and thrown into the sea and does not doubt at all in his heart but believes that what he says will take place, it will be done for him. For this reason I am telling you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe (trust and be confident) that it is granted to you, and you will [get it]" (Mark 11:22-24 AMP).
I remember the first time I heard/read this verse......I was like.....
1 Corinthians 13: 5 AMP
"Understand [this], my beloved brethren. Let every man be quick to hear [a ready listener], slow to speak, slow to take offense and to get angry." James 1:19 AMP
of·fend·ed
əˈfendid/
resentful or annoyed, typically as a result of a perceived insult.
Are you offended? Most people immediately will say, "Not at all! I don't let people bother me like that child!" BUT deep down you are either very resentful, irritated, or very annoyed because of a PERCEIVED insult! Today, we are going to talk about the trap of being offended, let some things go once and for all, and avoid this deceitful trap of the enemy in the future. We live in a world where people are not always nice. Sometimes people feel that they have a "right" to be mean, but then there are those that are mean and nasty for no apparent reason. One day they are your SISTER or BROTHER and the next......they don't even want to talk to you or acknowledge that you are alive. lol! At first, it doesn't "seem" to bother you, after all "people come and people go," but the more you think about it, dwell on it, and the more you see their face pop up on your newsfeed (if there hasn't been a deletion lol!) you find yourself getting more and more irritated, annoyed, irked, and just plain aggravated by the mere mention of their name. Friend, this type of attitude is not pleasing to God. He knows that offense stunts our growth and keeps us from living the abundant life that He preordained for us to live. So how do we let it go and avoid the trap of being offended?
"And Jesus, replying, said to them, Have faith in God [constantly]. Truly I tell you, whoever says to this mountain, Be lifted up and thrown into the sea and does not doubt at all in his heart but believes that what he says will take place, it will be done for him. For this reason I am telling you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe (trust and be confident) that it is granted to you, and you will [get it]" (Mark 11:22-24 AMP).
I remember the first time I heard/read this verse......I was like.....
My thoughts: You mean to tell me that I can tell a mountain (a difficult circumstance, issue, etc.) to be thrown into the sea (done away with or defeated) AND pray for anything, believe that I have received it, and it will be mine?!?!?!
*PRAISE BREAK
Recently I was naming and claiming some things and nothing seemed to be manifesting. Well, one day during my quiet time God said, "You are offended. It's time you let it go!" You see, I was offended by a peer of mine and did not realize it. I had brushed it under the rug, had told myself that I was "over it," but all the while I could not stand to hear the peer's name or see their face all because I was OFFENDED! Now although I still believe and live by Mark 11:23-24, God led me to read verse 25.
"And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him and let it drop (leave it, let it go), in order that your Father Who is in heaven may also forgive you your [own] failings and shortcomings and let them drop" (Mark 11:25 AMP).
Boom.
Well, still "ignoring" the voice of God, I went on STILL believing God, but nothing happening. All the while STILL "acting" like I had let it go. It wasn't until talking with my mom one day that I realized that not only was I offended, but I was also hindering not only what I was believing God for to manifest, but also hindering Him from working in me and through me! Once I realized this, I began to yield to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to do a new thing in me. I prayed and believed God for deliverance, the ability to forgive and love like Him, and to avoid ever becoming offended again. And thank God that now I am free from the trap of being offended. Friend, in order to be free of the trap of being offended we must REALLY realize that God has forgiven each of us an impossible debt. Because of this, Jesus wants us to know that no matter what others have done to us---no matter how deep the debt----or offense----we must let it go and forgive them as God has forgiven us, "It's just this simple: If we're going to walk in the faith of God----the kind of faith Jesus talked about in Mark 11:23-24----we're going to have to walk in the love of God. In other words, if we're going to use the God-kind of faith as Jesus did when He cursed the fig tree, we're going to HAVE TO FORGIVE AS GOD FORGIVES!" (Kenneth Hagin)
Think about this:
A boy has a bandage over his wound, but he continues to pull the bandage back in order to show everyone what happened to his knee. He would cover the wound and then reveal it, cover it and reveal it, until eventually it was reopened.
In order to be set free from the trap of offense and to avoid it in the future you must practice the three Rs:
YOU also need to know that.......
1. Forgiveness DOESN'T excuse their behavior. It prevents their behavior from destroying your heart!
Listen, wrong is wrong and right is right, BUT a "little" grudge that you refuse or neglect to deal with can fester and become bigger and bigger until it cuts off the flow of the Spirit, blessings, and the favor of God that YOU SHOULD be enjoying! Not only does it cut off the flow of the things listed above, but also of YOUR joy and peace! NO THANK YOU!
2. You must ALWAYS remember: Forgiveness is NOT a feeling, it's a decision!
You may not "feel" like forgiving them, but you must CHOOSE to do so! It's not easy, but the Holy Spirit will not only tell you to do this, but will also help you do it! He will empower YOU!
3. STOP covering up the wound with a "bandage," but then reopening it up by TALKING about it, dwelling on it, and THINKING ABOUT IT!
Friend, you can't heal when you continue to rehearse and relive the pain and hurt. The more you hold on to what happened, the more you delay your healing. It's time that we that are saved truly LIVE like JESUS, forgive, and let some things go.....not just say that we do! WE must stop nursing, rehearsing, and reliving the hurt! When you feel yourself getting offended or if you are offended check your thoughts!
Always remember: your attitude is your thoughts turned inside out!
When you start to have thoughts that cause you to relive the hurt or become upset all over again, take those thoughts captive and MAKE them obedient to Christ. Then set your will to dwell on the things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtue, and praise! And when you start to think about that person or circumstance.....start to not only pray for them, but say something positive about them! Don't speak ugly about them and tell everyone and their mama about what they did to you over 10 years ago trying to get people to change their positive opinion of the person or to feel sorry for you. Let what you say be good and helpful. Use your mouth to encourage, uplift, and edify....NOT to discourage, belittle, or PROVE A POINT! "Well, Raven what if I have nothing positive to say?" I always tell people that there is ALWAYS something positive that can be said about someone. EVEN if it is just that they wear nice shoes! lol! Speak positively over that person, pray for that person, better yet.....SPEAK THE WORD OVER THAT PERSON AND OVER YOUR OWN SELF! Pray and ask the Lord to help you to empty yourself of you so that you can be filled with His spirit! And friend, when you are filled with His spirit, you can then be led by His spirit and then you can see people like He sees them, forgive, let things go, avoid being trapped by offense in the future, continue to grow and mature in the things of the Lord, and most importantly WALK IN LOVE because after all........you have nothing, are nothing, and can do nothing if you don't have love (1 Corinthians 13:1-8 AMP).
So friend, be honest.....are you carrying around baggage from the past? Have you become touchy, fretful, resentful, or just plain offended? Have you taken account of the evil done to you.....paying attention to all the wrongs that you have suffered when you should have forgiven the one who wronged you? Have you paid so much attention to the offense committed that it has consumed your life, weighed you down, paralyzed you from moving forward? Friend, know that you cannot move forward with God if you're burdened down with offense. Many people have testified saying that once they let "it" go they felt better spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically. Why? Because they let go of the weight that had bound and slowed them up (Hebrews 12:1-2 NLT).
Today, let's avoid the trap of being offended, by immediately forgiving, and REFUSING TO BECOME OFFENDED! It all starts with a choice. Let's choose to let go of past offenses that have weighed us down and let's choose to walk in the freedom and abundance that God planned for us to walk in! Let's make a choice to walk in LOVE and pray without ceasing! God will help you and empower you to LIVE free from the trap of offense! Let Him work in you so that He can work through YOU!
Faith Confession: I CHOOSE to forgive ANYONE, for ANYTHING, at ANYTIME! In Jesus' name, AMEN!
Be encouraged!
*PRAISE BREAK
Recently I was naming and claiming some things and nothing seemed to be manifesting. Well, one day during my quiet time God said, "You are offended. It's time you let it go!" You see, I was offended by a peer of mine and did not realize it. I had brushed it under the rug, had told myself that I was "over it," but all the while I could not stand to hear the peer's name or see their face all because I was OFFENDED! Now although I still believe and live by Mark 11:23-24, God led me to read verse 25.
"And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him and let it drop (leave it, let it go), in order that your Father Who is in heaven may also forgive you your [own] failings and shortcomings and let them drop" (Mark 11:25 AMP).
Boom.
Well, still "ignoring" the voice of God, I went on STILL believing God, but nothing happening. All the while STILL "acting" like I had let it go. It wasn't until talking with my mom one day that I realized that not only was I offended, but I was also hindering not only what I was believing God for to manifest, but also hindering Him from working in me and through me! Once I realized this, I began to yield to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to do a new thing in me. I prayed and believed God for deliverance, the ability to forgive and love like Him, and to avoid ever becoming offended again. And thank God that now I am free from the trap of being offended. Friend, in order to be free of the trap of being offended we must REALLY realize that God has forgiven each of us an impossible debt. Because of this, Jesus wants us to know that no matter what others have done to us---no matter how deep the debt----or offense----we must let it go and forgive them as God has forgiven us, "It's just this simple: If we're going to walk in the faith of God----the kind of faith Jesus talked about in Mark 11:23-24----we're going to have to walk in the love of God. In other words, if we're going to use the God-kind of faith as Jesus did when He cursed the fig tree, we're going to HAVE TO FORGIVE AS GOD FORGIVES!" (Kenneth Hagin)
Think about this:
A boy has a bandage over his wound, but he continues to pull the bandage back in order to show everyone what happened to his knee. He would cover the wound and then reveal it, cover it and reveal it, until eventually it was reopened.
In order to be set free from the trap of offense and to avoid it in the future you must practice the three Rs:
- Realize that offenses WILL come
- Recognize offense for what it is ---- a spiritual enemy
- Refuse to allow offense to take root in your heart and mind
YOU also need to know that.......
1. Forgiveness DOESN'T excuse their behavior. It prevents their behavior from destroying your heart!
Listen, wrong is wrong and right is right, BUT a "little" grudge that you refuse or neglect to deal with can fester and become bigger and bigger until it cuts off the flow of the Spirit, blessings, and the favor of God that YOU SHOULD be enjoying! Not only does it cut off the flow of the things listed above, but also of YOUR joy and peace! NO THANK YOU!
2. You must ALWAYS remember: Forgiveness is NOT a feeling, it's a decision!
You may not "feel" like forgiving them, but you must CHOOSE to do so! It's not easy, but the Holy Spirit will not only tell you to do this, but will also help you do it! He will empower YOU!
3. STOP covering up the wound with a "bandage," but then reopening it up by TALKING about it, dwelling on it, and THINKING ABOUT IT!
- Don't use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. Ephesians 4:29
- Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Philippians 4:8
- We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV
Friend, you can't heal when you continue to rehearse and relive the pain and hurt. The more you hold on to what happened, the more you delay your healing. It's time that we that are saved truly LIVE like JESUS, forgive, and let some things go.....not just say that we do! WE must stop nursing, rehearsing, and reliving the hurt! When you feel yourself getting offended or if you are offended check your thoughts!
Always remember: your attitude is your thoughts turned inside out!
When you start to have thoughts that cause you to relive the hurt or become upset all over again, take those thoughts captive and MAKE them obedient to Christ. Then set your will to dwell on the things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtue, and praise! And when you start to think about that person or circumstance.....start to not only pray for them, but say something positive about them! Don't speak ugly about them and tell everyone and their mama about what they did to you over 10 years ago trying to get people to change their positive opinion of the person or to feel sorry for you. Let what you say be good and helpful. Use your mouth to encourage, uplift, and edify....NOT to discourage, belittle, or PROVE A POINT! "Well, Raven what if I have nothing positive to say?" I always tell people that there is ALWAYS something positive that can be said about someone. EVEN if it is just that they wear nice shoes! lol! Speak positively over that person, pray for that person, better yet.....SPEAK THE WORD OVER THAT PERSON AND OVER YOUR OWN SELF! Pray and ask the Lord to help you to empty yourself of you so that you can be filled with His spirit! And friend, when you are filled with His spirit, you can then be led by His spirit and then you can see people like He sees them, forgive, let things go, avoid being trapped by offense in the future, continue to grow and mature in the things of the Lord, and most importantly WALK IN LOVE because after all........you have nothing, are nothing, and can do nothing if you don't have love (1 Corinthians 13:1-8 AMP).
So friend, be honest.....are you carrying around baggage from the past? Have you become touchy, fretful, resentful, or just plain offended? Have you taken account of the evil done to you.....paying attention to all the wrongs that you have suffered when you should have forgiven the one who wronged you? Have you paid so much attention to the offense committed that it has consumed your life, weighed you down, paralyzed you from moving forward? Friend, know that you cannot move forward with God if you're burdened down with offense. Many people have testified saying that once they let "it" go they felt better spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically. Why? Because they let go of the weight that had bound and slowed them up (Hebrews 12:1-2 NLT).
Today, let's avoid the trap of being offended, by immediately forgiving, and REFUSING TO BECOME OFFENDED! It all starts with a choice. Let's choose to let go of past offenses that have weighed us down and let's choose to walk in the freedom and abundance that God planned for us to walk in! Let's make a choice to walk in LOVE and pray without ceasing! God will help you and empower you to LIVE free from the trap of offense! Let Him work in you so that He can work through YOU!
Faith Confession: I CHOOSE to forgive ANYONE, for ANYTHING, at ANYTIME! In Jesus' name, AMEN!
Be encouraged!