What Am I, Offensive? Part One
“And He said to his disciples, “Temptations to sin are sure to come, but woe to the one through whom they come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were cast into the sea than that he should cause one of these little ones to sin. Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.” Luke 17:1-4 (ESV)
So let’s start this off by asking a few questions. How many of us struggle with being offended? How many of us struggle with being offensive? And then for an added kicker, how many of us struggle with knowing the difference between the two? If we were to look up offend in Webster’s Dictionary it would define the word offend as: to arouse resentment, anger, or vexation in, to be displeasing, and to commit a sin. And then it defines offense as: The act of offending or the state of being offended, a breach of a social or moral code, a crime, the act of attacking. Or something that I wish the Philadelphia Eagles would remain constant in throughout a season.
In any sense of the root word, offend, there seems to be an opposite and equal reaction. And that would be something else we can have issue with and that is to defend or to be defensive. Something else I wish said football team would remain constant in throughout a season. Now there are a few ways we can view the idea of offend and defend when these two action words come into play in our lives. We are called to put on the armor and prepare ourselves to go on the defensive against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers this present darkness, against forces of evil in the heavenly places. So let’s take a look at the armor we are to wear for a moment.
“Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.” (Ephesians 6:14-18 ESV)
Now when we take a look at the armor it is all in front of us isn’t it. It is meant to protect you in as much to take a stand as it is meant to go on the attack and when I say attack I mean in those times when we find ourselves defending the truth in our daily walk. And take notice that there is nothing in this passage of Scripture that says you need to put anything on your back. The only thing you have is the tri-unity of a loving and merciful God. Pretty cool, huh? But unfortunately the view often taken in the way we apply these two action words to our daily walk is really rooted in pride and selfishness. And where we told to produce the fruits of the Spirit, (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control) we can waste time and effort producing the fruits of offense and the fruits of defense.
The fruits produced by offense are things like hurt, anger, outrage, jealousy, resentment, strife, bitterness, hatred and envy. The fruits produced by defense are things like spewing insults, going on the attack either physically or emotionally, a wanting to continue wounding, creating division, maintain separation, breaking relationships, betrayals and the justification to backsliding. In either case, of being offended or being defensive, if we find that these are the only fruits from either list that we are producing in our daily lives…we fallen into a trap and have been captured by the bait of Satan.
I would like to continue this conversation with you all in the next few Freedom Fighters. It will end with some young guy who, when back in the Old Testament days, had almost every man-made right to get and be offended by those who he thought loved or at least respected him. But I ask you to go back and take a look at the list of the fruits of offense and defense. See if there are any of these traits on those list’s that seem to have worked their way into your life. Keep in mind that if they are there, they are produced to kill your joy in Christ and something even bigger to keep minded about…there are produced by you. – Chris Hughes is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and serves on the Families for Christ ministry team
GPS – God’s Positioning System: 1 Chronicles 20; Psalm 112; Proverbs 3
Compass Pointers: “Jesus said our ability to see correctly is another key to being freed from deception. Often when we are offended we see ourselves as victims and blame those who have hurt us. We justify our bitterness, unforgiveness, anger, envy, and resentment as they surface. Sometimes we even resent those who remind us of others who have hurt us. For this reason Jesus counseled, “Anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see” (Rev. 3:18). See what? Your true condition! That’s the only way we can “be zealous and repent” as Jesus commanded next. You’ll only repent when you stop blaming other people.” The Bait of Satan John Bevere
Anchored to the Rock: If your troubles are deep-seated or long-standing, try kneeling.
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