Whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. (Ephesians 4:30-32)
Have you ever noticed that offended people feel they are never treated quite good enough and that they seem to move from relationship to relationship? Offended Christians seem to move from church to church or from church to no church. How can we solve this problem? The answer is easier than the solution, but the answer is simply this. We must remove and eliminate offenses from our lives (Acts 24:16).
Years ago, I had a friend who was offended at his family. Years earlier he had quit attending family reunions and would always stay away, especially on the holidays. He was so offended that you could hardly talk to him about his family without him getting an attitude.
One day in casual conversation when it seemed like the time was right, I asked him what it was that his family had done to hurt him so severely. (By the way, with offended people you always have to wait until the time is right.) To his own astonishment, he couldn’t remember what it was that had created this turmoil in his life. Even sadder was the fact that his entire immediate family, his two sons and daughter, had not grown up knowing their grandparents and aunts and uncles. Because of one man’s offense, an entire family suffered.
Becoming offended develops into unforgiveness and grows into a root of bitterness. Then pride steps in and will not allow the offended person to forgive. The Bible tells us that pride is not of God. In fact, it is a characteristic of Satan. Satan’s pride caused him to rise up and rebel against God. Because of his pride, he wouldn’t back down, so God cast him down. To harbor an offense and not allow the Holy Spirit to minister forgiveness through us, is rebellion and pridefulness.
The Bible tells us that God resists the proud and exalts the humble (1 Peter 5:5,6). Don’t allow pride in your life to hinder you from releasing the offense that has bound you for years. It takes humility to forgive. Pride never forgives. Humble yourself, forgive, let go of the offense and receive God’s blessings for your life.
If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. (Philippians 2:1-4)
