Taking Up an Offense

Serving in ministry for 50+ years, I've seen this scenario played out time and again, and every time the enemy gets the victory over the believer. Here's the scene; someone in the church, or family, or workplace, or school is offended by the actions of words of another person. A friend, acquaintance or family member hears of or observes the incident and becomes offended on behalf of their friend, etc. Long after the two actual participants in the event have settled things and moved on, those who have taken up the offense are still fuming and stewing every time they are reminded of the event or the people involved. Why? I think I know.
When I'm offended, God immediately gives me grace to forgive and move on. I can deal directly with the offender and our relationship can be restored. However, if I take on an offense on behalf of another, I am not afforded the grace of God needed to forgive. I'm pretty much on my own to do it the hard way; by strength of will. As I begin to take steps of obedience, God does offer grace, and it gets easier as I go along. The scripture that addresses this issue is found in Hebrews 12:14-15 "Strive for peace with everyone and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no "root of bitterness" springs up and causes trouble and by it many become defiled;"
So, what should I do when someone comes to me and wants to talk about "the incident"? I should offer to pray with and for them, and go with them to the other party and seek resolution (with me only as a spectator) What if the one who comes to me was not a direct participant, but is passing along "hearsay"? My response should be "I have promised God not to listen to bad reports about people lest I become offended at them and become a part of the problem rather than a part of the solution. I will pray with you for the people involved, but I don't need particulars in order to do that."
God wants unity in His body, the church. In order for there to be corporate unity, there must first be individual unity between persons involved in conflict.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Waiting for Christmas sermon, Waiting for Christmas sermon by Brian Bill, Luke, Luke - SermonCentral.com

Waiting for Christmas sermon, Waiting for Christmas sermon by Brian Bill, Luke, Luke - SermonCentral.com : If you are like me, you are always open to hearing new sermon ideas for Christmas.  I found one that I encourage you to examine.  Just follow the link above and find a fresh message for Christmas. My prayer for all my readers is that you will encounter Christ in a fresh way this Christmas and be drawn closer to Him as God continues His work of conforming you to the likeness of Christ.
Read more

Man's Way vs God's Way

As I watch on C-span the Glen Beck rally in Washington D.C. I'm struck with the contradiction between man's approach to change and the plan that God gave us in the Bible to bring about lasting change. While man opts for "events" such as this rally, God's emphasis is on the individual; each one reaching and discipling one (Matt. 28:18-20) The result of disciple-making is that each disciple is then empowered to make disciples, and a movement is set in motion, not just an event. Jesus set the example for us in that He spent the majority of His time discipling and equipping a small group of men. Although He did, on occasion, speak to multitudes, the bulk of His time was invested in His disciples. If the money and man power that went into this rally were expended through disciple-making churches to train, equip and send out disciples of Jesus through our nation, lasting change would result. Once this rally is over, it is over. However, a disciple-making movement ...
Read more

The Purpose of the Church

I t seems to me from scripture that the primary purpose of the church is to represent Christ to the world.  The unfortunate reality is that many, if not most, church members think that the church exists to cater to them.  They expect the church to entertain, comfort, inspire and pamper them simply because they are "members".  If the opening statement of this blog is true, how does that play out in reality?  Here are some random thoughts. The church should serve as a "service station" to members equipping them for ministry to and in the world in which they live. The church should demonstrate to the world how to live in community with one another. The church should do for those outside the church what Christ did for the multitudes when He was here on earth. The church should provide nurture and care for new believers, helping them discover and develop their gifts that enable them to function as Christ's ambassadors to the world. The church should be a platform for...
Read more