I also sent this in an email to the family March 23, 2014 Dear children, I hope you will read the message I wrote in the new Christian Cowboys and Friends Magazine Mar/Apr 2014 issue entitled “Don’t Take Offenses” for a better understanding of what I have written below. There have been times when we have closed doors, shut down, built walls, and burned brides quickly with family and friends. I am sure we all have done this at times. Some time this becomes a recurring thing and we are quick to take offenses. In the book, “The Bait of Satan” I learned about offenses. The word offense is a “trapstick - with bait on it”. The bait for us is offenses. When we take the bait of offenses, we fall into the trap. The door is open for destruction. It is a trap of the enemy, Satan, to cut people of from one another. The enemy wants to divide, steal, kill, and destroy. Don’t take his bait. When you do, often are cutting of the very ones who love you and are in your life to bless you. You could be valuable to them and they could be valuable to you if you were not cut off from each other. Even if they intentionally or unintentionally offended you, they still are valuable in your life. So when someone gives an offense we have the option to let it pass or take it. Just because it was given does not mean we have to take it. Just because we take it does not mean we have to keep it. We may need to have a discussion about the offense, or we may need to just let it go and not let it take up residence in our heart and mind and spirit. I Peter 4:8 “Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.” There is a way to handle offenses as we are taught in the following ways: Proverbs 17:9 “He who covers a transgression seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates friends.” Do not keep playing the offense over and over in your mind like a video. This brings the offense and hurt and anger up over and over and keeps people divided. Proverbs 19:11 “The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, and his glory is to overlook a transgression.” I am sorry for the hurts you have experienced in life by me, to yourself and from others. I ask you to forgive the hurts I have caused you. God is a God of restoration. That is God is a God of restoration - when people want it strongly enough. If they care, they can restored and have a good relationship. If there is apathy which means a person does not even care about the relationship, then restoration is not likely to happen. We all have done had things said to us or done to us by others that was an offense. It is how we handle those offenses that bring us through in love, joy, and peace- with relationships intact. God’s way is always the best way. When handles incorrectly we end up in unforgiveness, hurt, anger, bitterness, and sometimes even hate. Hate is the farthest a person can get from God since God is love. One act of forgiveness turns it all back to love again. Some times we have to “choose to forgive” and let our feelings catch up later. We do it as act of our will, knowing that is what God does for us and what He wants us to do toward others. God will heal our wounded spirits after we forgive if we ask we ask Him to. Stop the vicious cycle. Stop falling for the trap and schemes of the devil in your life. Value your relationships with family and friends. Guard against taking offenses. Guard against division. We are better together. John 13:34-35 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. (35)By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” I have always wanted you to enjoy life and the people around you. It is the life of love that wins. Love, Dad P.S. I know that there are some people we don’t flow well with. That is a different subject. Those are the ones we love at a distance. They are not good to be in your life. But we don’t need to walk around in offense toward them-just stay apart before any damage or more damage is done. Use your God given wisdom.
Posted on: Sun, 23 Mar 2014 18:59:13 +0000
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