No Offense

One of my favorite pastors, Stephanie Ike, once said that “people often hurt you from a place of their own brokenness” and it has changed my perspective of offense ever since. That simple truth helps me to have compassion whenever I feel wronged because when it comes to brokenness I can relate. If you’re being honest with yourself, so can you. We all have areas of brokenness that God desires to make whole. Unfortunately, the spirit of offense, pride, bitterness and unforgiveness often causes us to view those who’ve hurt us as rivals. As a result, we respond with walls of defense, grudges that we cling to for dear life & and words that cut like sharp blades. At times, we have the tendency to justify these dysfunctional ways. When in all actuality, we have no right to harbor on offenses. Now hear me.. I’m not saying that it’s wrong to feel the sting of offense or express our hurts. Vulnerability is good and it reflects our humanity. (Nor am I downplaying deep hurts which require deep healing.)

However, we have no right to clinch offenses in our fist as if our lives depended on it. Why?

Because for one: Nobody could ever offend us worse than we have offended God at one point or another. But thankfully, His Word says, “Love covers a multitude of sin” (1 Peter 4:8). So He has forgiven us of those offenses. The hard thing however, is not being forgiven by God, but obeying His charge to love and forgive others as He does. He doesn’t give us a prerequisite; He simply says forgive. You know, like He did for the very disciple who betrayed Him to His death on the cross? Yeah.

Secondly, that person standing in front of you is not the real enemy. The true adversary is an unseen spirit influencing that person -and it ain’t the Holy Spirit (yes, I said ain’t). As the Word reveals, “We are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12). In this case, we have God‘s upmost permission to wage war -against evil spirits, not people. Ironically, when it’s time to war spiritually in prayer, praise and resisting demonic influences; we don’t seem to stand on business in the Spirit like we do in the physical.

No worries though! Our gracious Jesus, teaches us how to to war, rightly. It is through our revelation of Who Christ is and who we are in Christ; that fuels power inside of us. In the Word, Jesus told His disciples -and us, that He has given us the keys to the Kingdom of heaven, (which means authority) to bind and loose (Matthew 16:19). Essentially, this means that we have authority in Jesus Christ that whatever troubles us, we can bind it with our words, although we can’t physically see it. And in turn, we can loose the things of Heaven which already exist in unseen realms so they’ll be exhibited here on earth, where are things are seen.

This can look like binding the spirit of offense when someone wrongs us. We can come directly against the spirit of pride that is attached to unforgiveness, bitterness, and the like. And just as we have authority to bind up; we also have the power to loose all that is in alignment to God; such as forgiveness understanding, clarity & contentment. Offense is an easy trap, but we must refuse to take its’ bait or at least ask for God’s help in rejecting it. After all, how do we expect to walk in the freedom that Christ died to give us if we allow another person’s brokenness to cause us to operate in dysfunction? 

Releasing offense releases us.

Although God does not expect us to be a perfect people; He also doesn’t call His church (the body of believers), to normalize  dysfunction. Rather, He calls broken individuals, who love Him, to live amongst other broken people, allowing brokenness to ignite compassion and lead to humility and unity -within the body of Christ. Then, recognizing who our real enemy is -rusty, dusty satan; our hate should be towards him instead of one another.

The Lord says, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (John 13:34).

He also says, “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that (Luke6:32-33)”

Listen, love is no easy task but it’s still our call as believers. I’m not speaking of the world, but solely believers. We’re called to a higher standard. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we’re called to reflect the love of Christ. Now this doesn’t entail accepting foolishness, but rather navigating issues in a respectful, Christlike way. Even towards the difficult folks. 

Today, let’s start at the root. And that is our own heart posture. Let’s get to the root of our own brokenness so that God can prepare our hearts to possess compassion for other broken people. I believe as we sit with God, allowing Him to reveal more of His heart and the hidden things in our own heart; He’ll also teach what to do with that revelation. And may everything that weighs us down, fall off.

The Lord is committed to our growth and He doesn’t condemn us for our cringy ways. He wants to love us back to wholeness. He wants us to receive His love and extend it to those around us. Where others have failed us, betrayed us, & intentionally or unintentionally hurt us; the Lord knows how to tend to the wounds of His dearly beloved daughters. He pours His restorative, redemptive love on the scars we’ve acquired from imperfect people throughout our lives and heals our hurts. Sometimes instantly, sometimes progressively. Either way He is truly the greatest, sweetest, realist love we will ever know. May this truth, alone ignite a healing in us that no person ever could.

Make it Personal:

What are some offense that come to mind, which God has forgiven you for? Thank Him for His  love that covers a multitude of sin (1 Peter 4:8).

When someone offends you, what is your first response and why? How can you be intentional about taking those offenses to God?

How has God helped you overcome previous hurts, betrayals and heartbreaks in the past? Meditate on how He has (or is currently) healing those wounds. Consider the brokenness that influenced the people who’ve hurt or disappointed you.

Ask God to reveal any offense, bitterness, pride or unforgiveness that you may still be harboring. Journal why it may be difficult to release those things and ask for His help.

Make it a practice in your own prayer time to bind and loose (Matthew 16:19); believing that Jesus gave you the authority to do so. Write them down and declare them out lout.

Lets Pray:

Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your love that covers a multitude of sin. Thank You for Your mercy and grace toward imperfect people like us. Your love for us is perfect because we serve the Perfect God. At times, it can be hard to emulate Your love, so we ask Holy Spirit helps us to love well and forgive quickly. Forgive us for the times we haven’t.  In those difficult situations, O God help us to see from Your perspective and guard our hearts & minds from harboring offense. Restore us where we’ve been wounded by someone else’s brokenness & keep us from being bound by it. You are our defender so we release those people to You and we pray that just as You loved us, You’d love them in a way that they’d be moved to right their wrongs. Forgive us for expecting love everywhere but in You. Make us whole. We bind every God opposing way, lie and deception of the enemy. And we loose the things of heaven; love, joy, peace, healing, insight, truth, freedom & so forth. Give us a fresh revelation of Who You are and who we are in You. We thank You for hearing our prayer & meeting our needs. In the matchless name of Jesus, amen.