adminBishop Dr. B Manjoro Dunamis
THE Lord Jesus Christ taught us that one thing is inevitable in human life. That one thing has held back many lives from success, crippled businesses, withered families and even destroyed nations. That one thing has been a weapon the enemy so dearly holds on to and that one thing is offences! Offences are a trap that stands on the way of every man and woman who wants to prosper and excel in life. They stand on the way of a happily married couple; a thriving sport team; a growing business empire; a powerful and effective church; offences are everywhere and offences are a key trap of the enemy against excelling to higher dimensions of life. Why did he leave me; why did she cheat me; why are they not giving me back my money; why did that person say that to me of all the people? What is the meaning of this? These and many other hurtful questions clamour the hearts and minds of many as they try to figure out the words and actions of others towards them. Read on as we hunt for keys from the Word of God on how to deal with and handle offences in life.
“Then said he unto his disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come! It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of the little of these ones. Take heed to yourselves: if thy brother trespasses against thee, rebuke him, and if he repent, forgive him”; Luke 17:1-3.
What one needs to understand first as taught in the scripture above is that as long as you are alive and here on earth, living with other people; offences are inevitable. They will come your way especially in this 2015 the year of the Lord’s favour.
Accepting that offences will come in life will help you handle the situations better than a person who has a mentality that he or she should never be offended in life. Offences have no boundary, age, sex or status. They penetrate even amongst the best of friends; the happiest of families; the strongest of committees and in every sector where human life exist — it is impossible for offences not to come. Reader get this today; when an offence comes, understand that they are a part of life’s package. Don’t focus on it or let it eat you up to being hospitalised, being locked behind bars, giving up, or worse off take your own precious life with suicide. It is how you handle an offence that matters most.
Effective dealing with offences is also capacitated by the wisdom of God in knowing the nature of offences. An offence can come through words, through a loved one, through an unexplained action or even mere silence can be a source of offence. No room for negotiation or explanation is given once an offence builds up in one’s heart. Offences occur in two key main ways that is, direct and indirect means. In a direct means scenario it’s you who is directly offended by an individual, people or a system, whereas in an indirect situation you get offended by what you deem an offence against another person. You get angry with what your friend’s boss did to your friend. Either way it gets your attention and builds up inside you. Understanding God’s Word will help you realise that our enemy and adversary the devil is cunning and doing everything he can to pull people down in life in any means and way especially through offences. Friend, hear this; offences are a trap — a trap to catch you! Handle them well when they come, because if you don’t they eat you up.
One terrible thing about an offence is that it hardly affects the person who causes it while it eats up and destroys the person on the receiving end of the offence. An offended heart is like a poisonous well. It contaminates all that comes to it. Any offence at work can also cause chaos at home if not checked and dealt with; whilst an offence in a bus can also stir harsh words at one’s workplace. Offences are contagious and carry a spirit behind them. A whole family, church, bus or company can fall apart because of one offended and polluted person. It’s a trap — the devil’s trap.
I know of an organisation many years ago that was almost torn to pieces by one individual who was offended. He went around office to office spreading bad rumours and damaging information about managers, supervisors and all key offices in the organisation. He wanted to leave the company but had vowed never to leave the company alone but with a bunch of people. Many almost went jobless because of one person who had harboured resentment and anger against someone else in the company. Be wise and act with understanding in all you do. You may find yourself failing to sleep because of someone who told you their bad opinion about a situation. People always speak one side and in their favour. You may be offended of something that never happened or something that was wrongly presented.
Finances are also a major source of heart-ache and offences. Borrowers and lenders often end up in a web of offences, pain, exchanging of words and dragging each other to courts. Do not borrow money if you are fragile and can’t handle what you will find yourself in. Be wise. You lenders also do not lend people money when you can’t stand not being given back your money. You are not a bank that lends money; especially when you later suffer heart-attacks when the money never finds its way back into your hands! O hallelujah!
Understand the consequences and possibilities before you either borrow or lend money. Avoiding ways and things that are likely to cause offences is wiser and better than trying to heal and recover from a deep and cancerous bruise and offence. Be wise and avoid what you can’t handle! Be honest with yourself and with others. God does not like people who offend others. Do unto others as you would like them to do unto you.
What then should I do when I have been offended? The 3rd verse of our key text Luke 16 tells us the key, “Take heed to yourself if thy brother trespass against thee . . . forgive him.” Seven times seventy times in a day must you forgive one individual who offends you. Reader this article is for you. It’s time to unwind the concealed wound and let the Spirit of God heal it. Forgive. You might have been greatly wronged but I challenge you this day to forgive. Release the turmoil and the poison eating you up and free yourself. Come out of that prison you are caged in by offences. Do not let another day go by with that heaviness in your heart. Offences are a trap and it is impossible for them not to come. But Bishop if you knew what they did to me is it possible to let go? I leave you with Mark 10:27 “for with God all things are possible.”
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