Offended

John 16:1-3 (KJV) These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended.

Offence will surely come whether we expect it or not, whether we are prepared for it or not! Our attitude towards offence determines the effect it will have on us.

People offend God, fellow men at one time or another. Some offend intentionally, while some unintentionally. Interestingly, whether you do what is right or wrong, somebody will be offended. The question is “what should be the Christian attitude towards being offended?” To a great extent we can not stop the offences that come our way, but we can control our attitude or response to them. A decision to work towards not being offended is a right step to take if anyone will have a Christian attitude towards offences. This shows that we have the capacity to have the right attitude towards offences. Christians are to put their trust in God not in man or things. Trust in God enables one not to be offended knowing that man is limited but God can still perfect the situation.

Assumption is another thing that causes offence, I heard it said that assumption is the mother of frustration. There is need to have adequate and relevant information or facts about somebody, thing or situation before making finally decisions on them, to avoid unpleasant occurrences or surprises. There is always more than one side to a story. But it seems that we only want to hear one, and in most cases it is the wrong one.

Pride also causes one to be offended even by trivial matters. Pride has root in self and the scriptures command Christians to die to self. A dead man can never be offended. Our perception of people and matters determines whether we will be offended or not. John 16:1 says, “These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended. Christians are to be like Christ in all things including towards offences. But I see people leave church because they say they are offended, they don’t say I was hurt. You know why? When you get hurt you look for someone to heal you. When someone gets offended they look for someone to hurt. If I cant shoot you, I kill you with words.

May God Bless you EXCEEDINGLY, ABUNDANTLY, ABOVE ALL YOU CAN ASK OR THINK!