Staying Un-Offended; Part 2

The first step to staying un-offended is to get rid of anything that has offended you. The word “offended” comes from the Greek word skandilidzo  (pronounced skandel-idzo). Sound like a word in English. That’s right, our English word “scandal” comes from this Greek word. It means to stumble.

 So, one of the ways to find out if you have been offended is to ask yourself what has tripped you up or has caused you to limp, maybe not physically, but in your soul. You get offended when your soul gets wounded. Receiving healing from the Holy Spirit is the only way to be made whole (healed). Until God heals your soul you will limp along, causing others to get tripped up.

If you go back to Matthew 11:1-6 to the story of the disciples of John the Baptist you will notice that Jesus sent them back to John with a word from Isaiah; actually, from three places in the book of Isaiah. This was John’s book. He knew it backwards and forwards. But this word was more for his disciples than for him. They needed to be following Jesus, not John. It was one of the clearest words on the identity of the Messiah in the Old Testament. Why would they return to John? I guess because he was their friend. They liked him a lot. Many people have gotten offended because they stayed with a friend instead of going on with Jesus!

This instructs us that God’s Word is essential in staying un-offended. But more than staying in the Word is to be looking for Jesus in the Word. The Scribes and Pharisees knew the Word, but missed Jesus because they were not looking for Him in it. The Magi (Gentile magicians) found Jesus by following a star and one verse of Scripture from Micah (Matthew 2:1-12) simply because they were seeking for the promised Messiah, the King of the Jews. Jesus is on every page of the Bible for those who are hungry for Him and for more of Him. Keep your eyes on Jesus and He will keep you un-offended.

 Then, you must be able to know the difference between being grieved and feeling pain and being offended. Jesus experienced grief and pain but never stumbled. He was never offended. A maturing believer living in our sin-filled and fallen world will be deeply grieved and pained over the condition of humanity.

How did Jesus handle this? He prayed. He taught. He wept. He went out doing good. He sent others out to preach and heal and drive out demons. He overcame evil with good. He drove back the darkness with the Light of everything He received from the Father, and He stayed faithfully obedient to the Father. So can you because by faith Christ lives in you, with you, through you, as you, in the world around you. Again, keeping your focus on Jesus and your ears tuned to the Word of God you can not only live in this fallen world, but rise above it for the glory of God.

So, staying un-offended means that you keep short accounts with the insults, the accusations, the sin-soaked world, by continually casting all of your burdens upon the Lord, knowing that He will sustain you, He loves you, He cares for you, He has forgiven you of every offense and so you can too forgive every offense. Let it go. Look ahead. Keep your eyes on Jesus…on your knees, in the Word, and out into the world for Him!