Jesus came to bring Love and Forgiveness, not to expose our faults.
Twenty years ago I heard someone talk about offense and how we are not to take any. I didn’t know what an offense was so I asked God, “What is offense?”
Later that day, our neighbor came over to return something. As she talked about life she added, “I don’t like your daughter.”
My thought, “How could you not like my daughter, this sweet girl that everyone likes?”
God said, “That is offense!”
I knew I needed to forgive this woman and quickly. “LORD HELP ME FORGIVE THIS WOMAN, and BLESS her, help me walk in Love with her Jesus!”
By the time she left, I had forgiven and the bad feeling left. I didn’t say anything, but she might have seen an expression on my face, (my face shows all).
I still remember, but I don’t hold it against her and any time it might come to my mind I will pray, “God Bless her and
In 2 Corinthians 5:17-6:3, talks about reconciliation and ends with giving no cause for offense that the ministry of Christ be discredited.
When working to reconcile, we don’t expose all the garbage that tore us apart. God sent Jesus to be a man; and to be our lamb to cover our sin, and pay the price needed to set us free from sin and death. God doesn’t tell us everything we did wrong before He invites us into a relationship. He covers our mistakes until a time when we are ready to receive Forgiveness and Grace.
God LOVED me for 15 years before I was ready to hear that I needed to change.
HOLY SPIRIT knew when I was healed enough to receive a word from Him, He said, “You are rebellious!” This sent me to a prayer I wrote minutes before my accident.
For the next 15 years Holy Spirit would prompt me to do or not do something, to set me free from my rebellious spirit.
God has given us the commandment to LOVE God, LOVE our neighbor, and LOVE our enemies. I think that includes everyone. In 1 Corinthians 13:5b,7 says, “LOVE doesn’t take into account a wrong. LOVE Bears all things, Believes all things, Hopes all things, and Endures all things.”
Luke 6:37-38, “Do not judge and you will not be judged; do not condemn and you will not be condemned; pardon and you will be pardoned. Give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, they will be poured into your lap. For however you measure it will be measured to you in return.”
This is something I will be working on until the day Jesus takes me up, but in Jesus, I have made great strides! For some reason I used to judge people with tattoos until my daughter wanted one, and people who looked or acted like someone I knew, or people who’s house is run down with trees growing out of their gutters.
I have learned to pray for these people as soon as I hear that judgment enter my mind. Some people get many more prayers than other depending on the amount of judgement in my heart.
My goal for life is in Philippians 4:6-8
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with Thanksgiving let my requests be made known to God. And the Peace of God…guards my heart and mind in Christ Jesus.
So, whatever is true, honorable, right, pure, of good repute, if there is any excellence anything worthy of praise, let my mind dwell on these things.
This makes it hard to watch the news, but it sure makes it easier to sleep.
God Bless you.