Lord I pray and thank you for the thoughts on living unoffended. Please allow me to always live that way. Offense is a choice. When we choose to live offended, we take anger to a whole ‘nother level. Our anger turns to rage and poisons everything in turn our thoughts become harvested actions of our offended life.
Luke 7:23 says Blessed is he (anyone) who is NOT offended by Me.
Jesus was telling the disciples of John the Baptist to share this message with John. John was Jesus’ cousin. He was beheaded. Read the chapter its worth your time.
I read in Mark Batterson’s book Praying Circles Around Your Children – the phrase “living unoffended” and it won’t leave me alone. I believe I live a pretty unoffended lifestyle. People and life don’t easily offend me. I realize that what has become second nature to me is a harvest of making a choice NOT to be offended over many years.
I woke up with a flood of thoughts this morning. I brought veterans before the Lord, I brought the name of each one of my children before Him, My parents, my pastors, my husband and as the flood of thought continued I decided to get up, after all it probably is almost 6 in the morning anyway was my thought. Haha! 3am. God, you have such a sense of humor. I choose not to be offended by the lack of sleep. Speak, Lord Speak.
What did you say?
Kirsten said to me the other day, “mom wouldn’t it be great if we could create a filter for our mouths, like if something was about to come out that wasn’t good, it would be translated into something worth saying and then come out?” What a great thought! I began to think on it and it used to be a prayer of mine. I used to pray that God would put a gate on my mouth, that only things that were uplifting, gracious, kind, praiseworthy would come out of my mouth.
So, while thinking on that I had to take an account of my “mouth”. Ever think about what comes out or where it comes from? I know we ask ourselves that question when things come out of our kids mouths and we are really quick to blame – school, peers and others. But what about looking in the mirror at ourselves?
Josh said something about “a clean garage and it’s about time to get rid of things that we have carried around for years” where did that phrase come from? His father. (HAha)
It is not always pleasant hearing the things we have sown with our mouths into the minds of our children. It isn’t cute (forever) the things we think are cute when they are 2 or 3 years old.
Thoughts, good or bad, when chewed on in our minds, sink into (are sown into) our hearts. That is when thoughts start to become action. It becomes truth to us, only because it is something we have fed on mentally for a period of time until it became nourishment OR poison to our system. If you eat rotten fruit, it will make you sick. You would never think to pick up something maggots are eating on to nourish yourself but that is what we do when we eat on (think on) sin, the sin of others or unjust things done to us. It’s like poison. Before we know it, we have allowed it to be sown into our hearts and lives - the harvest will be painful. We don’t have to continue to the cycle. It is a choice, if you have taken your sin, hurts, past, mistakes to the Lord – don’t continue to eat them. LEAVE them with HIM, stay and watch in AWE as He burns it up but don’t relish in it. Just because it is familiar to you doesn’t mean it’s good for you.
So back to my mouth, I took account of the things that came out while driving – ouch! Stupid and dumb are not words I want sown into my children, especially while driving and adding the phrase “that need Jesus to the end” doesn’t make it taste any better coming out of your mouth.
I said to one of my children the other day – “I don’t like the phrase you keep using, I hope it taste bitter every time it leaves your mouth” The result – terrible acid reflux in my own life. Seriously, don’t say something to you children and expect God to NOT deal with you on some level. Even though, this phrase did not originate with me, it wasn’t good and if I am going to ask my children to account for their words, I better be accounting for my own. God will make sure of it. I am thankful He does. I am so very thankful that He deals with us in love.
If you take an account of your words (spoken, text, facebook status, etc.) you will see quickly if you live offended. I will touch on this thought briefly – the bible says in
Ephesians 4:17 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. 18 They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. 19 Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.
20 That, however, is not the way of life you learned 21 when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. 22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. 26 “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold. 28 Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.
29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
If we do what the bible teaches, meditate on its truth, it will be like that filter Kirsten was telling me about. It will be the filter that everything flows through before it goes from your mind (meditating) and sinks into your heart (nourishment for mind, body and soul) and then out of your mouth.
Thank you Lord for the lesson on my words, the power of my thoughts and choosing to live unoffended through the power of Your son, Jesus. Amen!
You know after I lost my father in April a dear friend in Christ sent me the verse about Jesus saying blessed is him who isn't offended by Me. At the time it was sent, I was like what does this mean? I am not offended...I am so thankful that I looked up those verses and meditated on them. It can be very easy to become offended by the Lord, like the loss of a loved one. We go through all sorts of emotion - anger is one of them. If you are experiencing this emotion - I pray that you don't let it turn into something it was never meant to be. God is just and we don't understand His plan or timing BUT we have to trust and believe in Him. Don't let your anger turn into a foothold the devil has in your life. Lord I pray for anyone that is angry over the loss of a loved one. Lord, I pray they aren't offended by you. Reach down and wrap your loving arms around them. Tenderly whisper your truth in their hearts and minds. Help them find rest in you once again.
I am thankful for Your providence! Amen
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