Then He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come! Luke 17:1 NKJV

 

I am about to admit something about myself that I am not too proud of. I do so not for the purpose of telling off on myself but with the hope to help others. I am talking about how to deal with an offense the godly way. I have not truly mastered this even though I thought I was further along.  I used to say that I am not easily offended. And I thought that statement about me was true. Imagine how surprised I was the other day when something did not happen that I wanted to happen. It was something personal. And if the truth be told, it was actually an unrealistic expectation...and I knew it. So why would I be offended? And more importantly, how would I deal with it.

 

Well honestly, I know why I was offended in this particular situation. I keep doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result. Crazy, I know. (I also know that I am not the only one who does this.) But thank God for Holy Spirit. He kept me from acting the way I would normally act when I am offended in this way.

 

In this passage of scripture the word "offense" means stumbling block; the trigger of a trap or snare. Something that would cause another person to sin. AHA!!!! What a spiritual light bulb moment for me!!! Here is an opportunity for me to fall into sin or to rise to victory.

 

After laughing at myself for the split second that I allowed myself to wallow in self pity, I immediately shifted my focus off the offender (who by the way had no idea that I was offended) and began to focus on the real culprit and his intent. The real enemy was the devil; the evil one; the deceiver. His goal was to set a snare and get me entrapped in self pity, anger, and disappointment. Clearly if I would have allowed these feeling to overtake me it would have led to sin. Yes, I would have sinned with my thoughts, my tongue, and my actions.  I would have acted in ways that were unloving and ungodly, producing death in my relationship rather than life. I would have allowed the offense to rob me of my joy and peace in Christ Jesus.

 

The bible teaches us in Ephesians 4:27 to give no place to the devil.  2 Corinthians 2 reminds us that we are not ignorant of the devices of the devil. And John 10:10 further reveals the machinations of the evil one. He comes to steal, kill and destroy. When I saw what would happen if I allowed this offense to cause me to fall into the trap that the enemy had set for me, there was only one thing to do. I told myself to get over it and move on.

 

Dear friends, it is impossible that no offenses should come. Seriously. It is going to happen. Expect it. And don't apologize for being offended. Instead, be prepared to respond godly. The choice is yours. What will you choose?  

 

Pastor Karen Jethroe