Topic: OVERCOMING THE TRAP OF OFFENCE
“And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.” – Luke 7:23 NKJV
To take offence is to be bitter, angry and pained by the action or inaction of another. An offence is a device of Satan and could come in such a subtle way that if one is not careful, that person becomes bitter, resentful, and ultimately become vengeful and in extreme cases fall into a depression which could lead to suicidal thoughts.
John the Baptist was offended. He must have felt betrayed, forgotten and left in prison expecting swift deliverance from Jesus. Wasn’t he the faithful herald of the Messiah’s coming? Didn’t he deserve priority while others were getting healed and delivered? He was so cut up by the offence that he challenged Jesus’ ministry, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”. He didn’t make it out of prison.
Someone once said, “When offence presents itself, as believers, rather than pick the offence, it is better to embrace the cross.” Christ gave us a classic example of how one can overcome offences through the principle of FORGIVENESS. In Luke 23:34, Jesus cried out in a perfect demonstration of forgiveness “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”
In the end, Jesus was glorified.
PRAYER:
Father, in the name of Jesus, I have seen in Your Word, that I have to let offences go. Your Word says that I must forgive those who have hurt me because You forgave me. I repent of this & I ask for Your forgiveness. I cannot forgive them for my own strength. I receive grace to forgive in Jesus name.
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