How To Handle Offense

The only known thing to separate us from unity is a special seven-letter word called… “Offense.”

It’s easy to know this because in the book of John, Jesus prayed to His father, that the Church would be one; that nothing would separate what He has designed to move, breathe, and step as one body. He had to have known what the enemy’s game plan was, and as Pastor Eli best said it:

“THE DEVIL HAS A PLAN- THE PLAN IS TO DIVIDE & HIS STRATEGY IS OFFENSE.”

I can always tell my level of health by the level of offense I carry. If I see fruit like resentment, hurt, and annoyance popping up in my life, it’s because I’ve let the seeds of division take root by certain events and situations. This can be something as small as constructive feedback on a project, a passing comment, even a simple look read the wrong way that could be carried in the back of my mind for days. And sitting in service today, Pastor brought a realization to light when he said that this mindset was aided along by the phrase: “In every joke, there is a little truth.”

But what if instead, the opposite was actually true. What if, “In many truths, there are little lies.”
What if that is why it can be so easy not to trust the words and intentions of those you have a relationship with? These are the things that we must break agreements with because when you choose to agree, you are making an unspoken vow with what will shape your views and perception on life, love, and everything else that makes up your world. Instead of allowing relative truth to dictate your choices and perception, you can choose to stand on the absolute truth that is found in the Word of God.

At the end of the day, offenses are inevitable. They’re going to come whether you’re ready for them or not. This is why Jesus prayed for unity before we were even cognizant of a separation. So you can choose now in this moment to begin strengthening your mind, your heart, your spirit to stand against the offense before it even comes. It is your choice to drop the offense handed to you, your choice to turn your back to it – not to negate the responsibility of the offender, but to refuse to let division start with you.

God wants to use you! He wants to bless the beautiful, available parts of your life and heal the broken parts, but He cannot use what you refuse to move on from. This is why it’s so important to bring your hurt, bring your heart, and all your hangups to before the throne so you can throw them down. Why? Because you might do a pretty good job of dealing with things on your own, but when you’re dealing with the enemy, it is the strength of our God that helps you forever cast away the seeds of division that are trying to plant in your head and heart.

SPIRITUAL MATURITY → LACK OF OFFEND-ABILITY → YOUR USABILITY

James 1:19 says this : “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.”

When you intentionally grow in this, along with walking in the fruits of the spirit, you will notice your spiritual maturity and strength will flow to new levels like you’ve never seen before. And when that happens, you will then notice that you can’t find a good reason to carry offense around with you, therefore your availability to be used by God will only widen.

It’s important to know that there are bigger levels of offense that will require more healing, more counsel, and more time. Yet keeping an unforgiving grip on the smaller offenses will only curate a “cancel culture” which leads to destruction because a house divided cannot stand.

So drop your offense off at the foot of the cross because we’re about our Father’s business and He’s big into unity and wholeness!

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