Monday, August 8, 2016

How to Keep Your Cool When Someone Offends You

Jesus said that offense would come (Luke 17: 1). So how do we handle them when they do come?

First of all, let's define what we mean by an offense. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, an offense is "the state of being insulted or morally outraged." Another online dictionary defines offense as "annoyance or resentment brought about by a perceived insult to or disregard for oneself or one's standards or principles."

Offense occurs, therefore, when someone says or does something that insults us or outrages us. When we are offended, our natural reaction is to strike back, to seek revenge, to punish the offender.

But God's way of dealing with offense is the exact opposite. He commands us to respond to offense with love.

Offense is a tool of Satan to get us off track in our walk with Christ. How you respond to offense is extremely important. Here are some ways to make sure that you do not fall into the trap of offense:

1- Give every offense to God. This includes giving him the hurt that the offense caused in your soul. 

2-Do not seek revenge for the offense. God says this in Romans 12: 19: "Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, 'I will take revenge; I will pay them back,' says the LORD." 

3-Forgive the person who offended you (Matthew 6: 14). Since God forgave us, we must forgive others. If we do not forgive those who offend us, God will not forgive us of our sins. This is a very sobering truth.

 4-Pray for the person who offended you (Romans 12: 14). By doing so, you will be returning good for evil. 

The next time someone offends you, apply the four principles listed above. As you do, you will be freed from the hurt that the offense caused you. Instead, you will be filled with the joy and peace of Jesus Christ.

And there is nothing better than that! :)

NOW IT'S YOUR TURN: What do you do when someone offends you? Please leave a comment in the box below.

 TWEETABLE:
"How to Keep Your Cool When Someone Offends You" by Dr. MaryAnn Diorio (CLICK TO TWEET)
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