Offenses, Being Offended, and Forgiveness
This devotional topic is about offenses and forgiveness. In the last post, we discussed Luke 17:1. We broke down the origins and definitions of offenses and being offended. We learned that offenses are inevitable, but allowing offenses to provoke us to sin is a choice. This means that it is possible to live life unoffended by offenses. Today, we will discuss how to overcome offenses. Notice that I did not say avoid offenses or stop offenses. Remember, offenses will come, which is why we must be equipped to control the impact it has on us by managing ourselves. Let’s get started.
Please read the scripture below.
CHOICE
Do you know who you are? Do you really know what you have inside of you? Well, I will tell you three important aspects of yourself. You have the gift of free will, the mind of Christ, and God’s Spirit on the inside of you. So you are powerful! For more information of who God says you are check out the “Discovering Identity” course (coming soon). God has given us the most powerful and most dangerous gift, FREE WILL or CHOICE. Why is this so powerful? It is powerful because it gives us the option to go against the will of the omnipotent, sovereign, perfect, Most High God! Why is it so dangerous? It is dangerous because it gives us the option to go against the will of the omnipotent, sovereign, perfect Most High God! God Loves us dearly, He is omniscient (all-knowing), and His ways are above our ways, which makes going against His Word and His Will dangerous. So how do we align our will with God’s Will. Specifically, how do we make the decision to overlook offenses? Let’s go back to our scripture.
Proverbs 19:11 is pretty straight forward. Basically, wisdom (good sense) brings emotional intelligence, which enables a person to choose not to allow offenses to provoke him or her to sin. In doing this, the person is praised or celebrated. This sounds easy enough, right? Well, why are there so many offended people that act out of God’s Will?
WISDOM & DISCERNMENT
This brings us to our first tool of overcoming offenses, wisdom. Wisdom is the application of knowledge. Wisdom is not so easy to come by, but is what is needed to overcome offenses. Multiple sources all concur that wisdom is gained by experience, knowledge, proper development, and adaptability. These sources would be partially correct. Wisdom can also be defined as the perspective of God, meaning knowing what is righteous (Graham, 2022). However, hearing and knowing God's Word is only one part of it. The enemy doesn't mind church attendance or even if you read your Bible, because he knows the Bible as well. Knowledge, education, experience, and knowing God’s Word is a great start. There is still something missing. Why are there intelligent people and older (or more seasoned) people conducting themselves in an unwise manner. How can a person who was afforded a top rank education and formative training lose his cool and start a fight with someone who accidentally bumped into him and spilled a few drops of latte on his shoe? This is because a component is missing. In 1 Kings 3, God told King Solomon to ask anything of Him and He would give it. Solomon asked for a discerning heart. Solomon said that the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding (Proverbs 2:6). The Lord led Solomon to write the book of Proverbs. King Solomon was one of the wisest people in the Bible, but it was the discernment that enabled him to be the most prosperous man who ever lived. Discernment, our second tool, is the ability to judge well. Simply put, discernment is the ability to segregate your perception of certain thinks. The word “discernment” or “discern” derives from the Latin term discernere, meaning “to separate” or “to divide,” from dis-, meaning “apart,” and cernere, “to separate.” The suffix -ment indicates a process or action. The most important part is what we put into action. Yes, I know that I need to overlook offenses, but will I? Wisdom is not enough, we also need discernment, which comes from God. These two things will save you a lot of time, energy, and trouble.
Let's go over the second part of this scripture. At first glance, what does “overlooking” mean to you? Well, to me, it looks like Solomon is saying that I should be a pushover because the word overlook means “to ignore”.
The dictionary’s definition of overlook is “failure to see”.
God said to be strong and courageous several times in the Bible. Why in the world is He telling me to overlook offenses?
That bothered me, because I don't like to be taken advantage of. No one likes to be done wrong. So, I dug a little deeper and discovered something very interesting. The word “overlook” derives from the 14th Century Middle English term overloken, which means “to scrutinize, examine, or inspect”. This is the opposite of the dictionary's definition! So, taking the word origin meaning of overlook makes more sense and firmly confirms the need for wisdom and discernment. We need both to fulfill this scripture.
Wisdom is needed for the following:
· To know yourself (identity), God and His Word
· To apply acquired knowledge, lessons from experiences to effectively conduct life on earth, such as exercising emotional intelligence when overlooking (examining) offenses
Discernment is needed
· To utilize the information collected by wisdom to determine the most suitable course of action to apply. (The suitability must be in alignment with God's Will.)
Then, its back to Wisdom
· To effectively carry out the course of action that the discernment determined.
From this, we can conclude with what I am calling the Righteousness Formula:
· Wisdom + Discernment + Wisdom = Righteousness (overcoming offenses)
This formula is more of a 3-step process that will not only aid in overcoming offenses, but it will also support our journey to living a wholesome, righteous life. Let’s go over this once more from another perspective, using overcoming offenses as the example.
STEPS TO RIGHTEOUSNESS (OVERCOMING OFFENSE)
1. Wisdom: Know yourself (identity), God, and His Word to maintain emotional intelligence after the offense against you while you pull from the impending knowledge of the situation.
2. Discernment: Utilizing the information collected by your wisdom (knowledge in Step 1) to determine the most suitable course of action to apply. (The suitability must be in alignment with God's Will.)
3. Wisdom: Utilize your experience, knowledge, education, and other abilities (both spiritual and earthly) to effectively carry out the course of action that your discernment (in Step 2) determined.
This formula / 3-Step process can be used in every aspect of your life, not just with dealing incoming offenses. Later this week, we will delve deeper into discernment as it pertains to offenses.
PAUSE... We want to hear from you!
After reading the practical tools and information in this post, what is your confidence level in overcoming offenses?
My confidence level significantly improved.
I'm a little more confident, now after the post.
I feel about the same as I did before reading the post.
This post has lowered my confidence level.
CALL-TO-ACTION
In addition to the activity in the previous devotional post, try the righteousness formula (Steps to righteousness) today and throughout the week. Be mindful of components you struggle with in doing so (I.e., Emotional intelligence, maintaining a peaceable spirit in offensive situations). What do you think is the root cause of that struggle? What can you do to further support your growth and living a righteous life unoffended by offenses?
PRAYER
God,
Thank You for being so good to us. Your kindness and mercy never fail. Please walk with us on our journey to live a righteous, purposeful life. Speak to our hearts as we ponder this week’s topic of offenses and forgiveness. Search us and point out anything hindering us from living a life unoffended by offenses. We pray that the consistent utilization of wisdom and discernment will not only transform and align us with Your Will, but influence others to know You and be transformed to align with You as well. It is in Jesus’s Name I pray.
AMEN.
If you have not accepted God as Your Lord and Savior, because you need more information about salvation to make your decision, please take the FREE mini course THE INVITATION. Just click the "I Need More Info" button below. It will give you a detailed explanation on why salvation is necessary, how to become saved, and the next step after you accept The Invitation.
If you haven’t accepted GOD’S INVITATION OF SALVATION and want to do so now, earnestly pray this prayer:
God,
I know You love me. I believe You died and rose from the dead for my sins. Please forgive me for my sins. I give you my heart and soul. Please be my Savior and Lord. Transform me. I desire to align with Your Will. Thank you for Your faithfulness and Your Love.
It is in Jesus’s name I pray.
Amen.
All of heaven rejoices when one person accepts THE INVITATION to salvation.
~ Luke 15:10
CONGRATULATIONS!
If you earnestly prayed this prayer, you are now saved! Again, for more information about why we need to be saved, what God’s Salvation means, and the next step after you are saved, take The Invitation course for FREE. This course will Always be FREE for Everyone because The Invitation of Salvation has already been paid! Again, if you are having doubts, take this FREE course as many times as you need and share it with others!
Also, consider enrolling in the Discovering God self-paced course to learn more about who God is. This comprehensive course offers a deep dive into the nature of God and why we all need Him in our lives.
With DIY programs, life coaching sessions, and downloadable content, we provide everything you need to support your transformative journey. We also offer group Bible studies and discussions on a variety of topics. Our teleconferences and virtual sessions provide a safe and enriching space to explore your faith with friends and loved ones while learning practical lessons to enrich your life. Book your session today! Take advantage of the introductory discounts and enroll today.
REFERENCES AND OTHER RESOURCES
Graham, J. (2022, September 13). Choosing Joy Over Sadness. Dallas, Texas, United States of America.
Landry, S. (2022). Whole: A Guided Workbook of Life. Beaumont: Westbow Press.