Are You Offended? - Jessica Curtis
When I was praying about what I should share, I thought, “Lord, I have nothing to share that others haven’t already shared more eloquently. I have nothing new to offer.”
Gently He spoke to me, “What about the verse I keep bringing to your mind?”
“But, Lord! I haven’t mastered that yet!”
Honestly, though, I haven’t mastered holding my tongue yet, or using my time wisely…I sometimes fail to witness and pray as I should…if I only share what I have mastered, I’ll have to wait until heaven to share anything!
So I will share a lesson that the Lord is teaching me, and maybe it will be a help to some of you as well.
Everywhere we go, wherever there are people, there are offenses.
It seems especially amongst girls, someone is always hurt and offended.
In churches, you’ll definitely find someone offended.
I’ve been in ministry my entire life, first as a PK, then both as a missionary wife and pastor’s wife. I can testify - I have seen a lot of offenders/offended!
Recently, I have felt hurt a few times by things people have done to me, and each time, the Lord has brought this verse to mind:
“Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.” Psalm 119:165
Isn’t it amazing how the Lord brings to mind the exact verses we need for the moment?
“Nothing? Really, Lord? Even if…?” (It’s crazy how we can keep a list of offenses, no matter how bad our memory is!)
NOTHING shall offend them!
How can I really say that I love the law of the Lord, when I am troubled and offended by what someone has said or done?
According to the Bible, I can’t.
If I am drawing nigh to the Lord as I should, God says I will have not only peace, but GREAT peace, and NOTHING will offend me!
I have found that when I am hurt by what someone has said or done, two main things are happening.
I’m offended because of pride.
Do you ever have these thoughts or feelings?
“They shouldn’t have treated me that way!”
“I deserve better.”
“I deserve to be treated better.”
What am I doing?
I am thinking of myself more highly than I ought to think.
Romans 12:3 says,
“For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.”
When I look at how my Savior was treated, what makes me think that I deserve better?
I recently went through a study on Moses with my children’s church. In Numbers 12, it tells how Miriam and Aaran rose up against Moses.
He was God’s man! The Lord had made him the leader! Yet, he did not demand respect. In fact, the Bible tells us,
“(Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)” Numbers 12:3
Oh! How his testimony convicts and encourages me! He had every right to fight and stand his ground, but instead he humbled himself and God fought for him. He is now recorded as being the meekest of all men.
Proverbs 13:10 says,
“Only by pride cometh contention:”
I have had my kids memorize this verse, and we frequently quote it if they aren’t getting along. I may even say, “It sounds like there is some pride going on here.”
It’s probably too bad there wasn’t someone who could tell that to us adults sometimes!
In a world that says, “Fight for your rights! Don’t let anyone push you around!”
- How I desire to be a Moses!
I’m offended because I’m assuming things
I’m “reading” thoughts, or body language, then assuming what someone thinks of me.
“They didn’t smile at me…they must not like me!”
“They didn’t wave…they must be upset at me!”
When in reality, it could have just been that they had a headache.
The Bible says charity “…is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;” (2 Corinthians 13:5)
Oh! How exhausting it is to always think that someone is out to get you - or talk about you!
It’s funny how we can misinterpret things! Our mind (or at least mine can at times) seems to play tricks with me and tells me all the mean things people are doing to me or saying about me behind my back!
During those times, the Lord has brought this to my mind…”Charity…thinketh no evil!”
The Lord uses it to gently reprimand me, “Don’t always assume the worst.”
Only God knows their hearts. We only create our ideas from how things appear.
“…for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)
Can you imagine how sweet the fellowship would be with a group of ladies who fully loved the Lord; who studied and memorized His Word?
The Bible says they’ll have “great peace” and “NOTHING shall offend them”!
I want to be one of those ladies! I want to be a woman who loves the Lord, has great peace, and who isn’t offended by anything.