It seems popular to get easily offended. People gripe, whine, and get bugged but they rarely GET OVER IT! You don’t really hear people bragging about moving on no matter how someone has wronged them. How much time do you spend irritated at the irresponsibility and inconsideration of others? What about your television habits, how much time do you spend feasting on the negative narrative of other offended talking heads? Be honest with yourself. It’s easy to get offended, it’s not our nature to forgive and let it go.
Jesus has a completely different view on offense than our culture. Yep! The Greek word used in scripture for “offend” is skandalizo. The bible refers to an offense as a “stumbling block” or a “snare”. Jesus defeated every snare we could face when He conquered sin with the cross. When believers trigger others to fall away from faith we become an offense. This mattered deeply to Christ.
When our behavior hinders righteous living and trips people up, Christ says it would be better for us to experience death by drowning! Essentially, if we are undisciplined and reckless, we put the chains of sin back on free hands. I don’t know about you but I want to be a student of the King not the world. I want to encourage people and never be an offense to God.
I challenge all Christians to make sacrificial love our first response, followed by forgiveness, and when we get offended, make sure it’s led by God rather than emotion or popularity. We are to have the mind of Christ, not group think! Share this challenge with everyone and lets live the Word not the World.
- Then He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying ‘I repent’ you shall forgive him.” (Luke 17: 1-4)
October 30, 2017
“I challenge all Christians to make sacrificial love our first response, followed by forgiveness…” What a wonderful Challenge to wake-up to on a Monday morning, knowing full well I am not in this alone, Thank You Lord Jesus!
October 30, 2017
Yay! I’m so glad you accepted this challenge knowing that you are in good company! We are His workmanship so let’s join together and get busy about the Father’s business. Blessings to you this week Michelangelo. (Ephesians 2:10)