We must be aware that the potential for offence is much greater with those we love and are close to.
(Alber Zehr)
Dealing with offences critical in these days.
Consider why Jesus said that offences would become more common in these last days (Matt. 24:10). When the intensity of God’s move is accelerating there is a greater tendency for misunderstanding. One of the scripture passages that seems to describe today is Josh. 3:4- 5, “we have never gone this way before.”
When we are called to moving beyond the range of our understanding the offence potential rises. 2 Tim 3:13; Rev. 12:12; 1 Peter 5:8-9 and other scriptures indicate that the enemy’s attacks will be increasing, and certainly offence will always be one of his primary tools. At the same time, the Lord wants to prepare and refine us for our work in the final harvest (Heb. 12:5-6).
As we will see later, offence brings to the surface untransformed aspects of our inner being. This allows offence to be a way the Lord can discipline and refine us. If we will allow His light to shine and His hand to work, the experience of offence can actually speed up our growth and transformation.
The nature of offence
Let us look more carefully at the nature of offence. We find that the foundational aspect of offence lies in the fact that another person, or perhaps God Himself, took action or made a statement which is contrary to our desires or expectation.
While we generally assume that the action was wrong or unwarranted, the basic truth is that our expectations or interests were not met, or we felt that our integrity was affronted. Even Jesus had to deal with offence. In Matt. 15:12 the disciples advised Jesus that the Pharisees were offended by what He had said.
When Jesus didn’t show up immediately when Lazarus was sick, Martha was offended (John 11:21). His disciples were also offended by Jesus, e.g. John 6: 61 and Matt. 26:31. When in a state of offence we presume that since the offender did us wrong they owe us something. At the very least they owe us an apology, or some kind of recompense.
Thus we make them indebted to us. We easily become consumed with our case against the offender. It is easy to become what I call a “night time lawyer.” As we toss and turn on our beds we turn the case over and over, gaining evidence to vindicate our grievance.
By morning we have assigned to ourselves the role of judge and are demanding vindication. In this way we can have our own private lawsuit, which is actually the basis of many actual lawsuits (1 Cor. 6: 1-8). We must be aware that the potential for offence is much greater with those we love and are close to.
The man on the street will rarely offend us because we don’t expect anything from him. When someone speaks very highly of me I tend to become just a little uneasy because this person unknowingly may be developing too high expectations for my continuing performance. What will happen if I do something wrong or contrary to those expectations?
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Albert Zehr - Canada
Born Amish-Mennonite, taught elementary and high school, pastored, doctor of nutrition, lecturer, now world travel minstry and charismatic pastor at Church of Zion, Vancouver. writer and teacher -married 50 yrs to Janet Cender 4 child 8 grnd kids.
