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Seriously. I think this must be something I need to work on - because I find myself irritated the entire time I'm reading. I find myself annoyed with everyone around me. It seems the offenses keep coming when I consider dealing with this in my life.
Today is a beautiful day outside. Blue skies. 79 degrees (rarity in the middle of April in this part if the country!), sunny, windows open, breeze blowing through the house. It's gorgeous outside. The kind of day that makes you oh-so-quickly forget the long hard winter.
Yet, I am irritated. With the mess in the house. With the animals. With people and circumstances. With myself for having no motivation to do anything around the house. With..... - well that's the entire point. I'm irritated.
And again. I think it has to do with this book. I think I'm going to have to stop reading it just so I can stop being irritated with everything around me!
Has anyone else read this book and found this to be true?? I'm curious. I know lots of people have read it and said it to be a life changer. The jury is out for me just yet. I'm still trying to figure out if it's REALLY a sin to be offended when people - well - offend! It's a book I'm going to have to read from front to back before I give my opinion :)
Seriously though - who else out there has read it and what was your take on it? I'd love to hear from you!
2 comments:
Okay, I read your whole blog which I should've done before responding;I don't know how to post on it though? It's hard when people offend no matter what, but the tough part is discerning why we were offended. I believe the enemy literally flings the "trap" at us at times through thoughts and feelings b/c he knows when/how to push our buttons. Other times he does it through people's mouths. Sometimes, though, I think we're offended because of our own pre-dispositions and perceptions. And there are times, when we are offended because someone actually spoke hurtful words or actions against us. What's the answer? I have to go to God to ask for Him to allow his forgiveness to flow through me to that person when the offense has been deep or simply repetitive or without repentance. It's tough stuff, but it's possibly one of the enemy's greatest weapons against us. Sometimes we can take on other people's offenses too; that usually doesn't work out. Forgiveness and love flowing from Christ and the refusal to expect payment in any form from the offender seems to be a key as well. The other day, the Lord spoke something to me about some stuff that I know for a fact was addressed recently because He initiated it. I was like, "I don't understand Lord. I believe what you are saying is true because you're the ONe saying it, but I don't get it at all." I told him I didn't want to go through the motions but that I needed him to grant me a gift of deep genuine repentance for what I was doing that was hindering him from moving b/c I didn't get it. Then I asked for more understanding and He was faithful to explain quite a bit more about what he was talking about. I have more to say about this...would love to go through it in a small group sometimes....Good stuff that brings up opportunities for the HS to heal and deliver. Enough blabbing. Those are my thoughts:).
The Lord's been talking to me about offense this year... offense at others in the body of Christ generally, and offense at Him more specifically. I haven't read this book, but I do believe that our hearts taking offense does - in some measure - limit our ability to release the reality of God's Kingdom.
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