The Trap

Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life.   —Proverbs 4:23 

    The spirit of offense poisons lives and attitudes. According to Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, the word offense is derived from a Greek word skandalon, which "originally was:

 'the name of the part of a trap to which the bait is attached, hence, the trap or snare itself....'" It was the part of the trap that lured or snared an animal.

    We easily see that offense is what Satan uses to lure people into full-blown cases of bitterness, resentment, and unforgiveness. Satan uses offense to cause us to stumble and fail to go forward with God.

    The temptation to get offended is a trap that should be avoided like the plague. If we would not take poison, we should not take offense. If we would be champions for God we must not be easily offended.

    Many people never become what God desires them to be because they get offended. They get bitter. Offense becomes a stumbling block to them, and they never progress beyond that point. They are the loser and the devil is the winner.Often time people who walk in offense are blinded to it. They hear and see everything as a negative. Offense keeps people from receiving things in love. It is a destroyer of relationships and a killer of your spirit. it will keep you from receiving and living in the fullness of joy that God has for you. Beware of this spirit!!

Example:
A husband looks at the wife and says " hey can you buy some more expensive towels next time you shop, cause the one's you bought are bleeding into the wash.

Offense takes that (distorts it) and the wife hears  'hey you must be dumb, cause anyone with sense would know that the cheap towels you bought bleed into the wash so next time get it right duh!"

I had someone share that her husband was making a comment amongst friends that he wished he had a chef to come to his house and bake for him.  (his statement was said and meant with the purest of intensions) but she took it personal as if he was saying, she couldn't cook. 
she realized that she had a spirit of offense, cause in conversations with people she usually leaned more towards the words spoken being a personal attack against her rather than just what it is "a simple statement or comment"

she would find herself stewing for weeks and months over things people would door say to her.Get an understanding in the midst of misunderstandings and ask God to give you His ears so you can hear things in the way they really are so you don't misinterpret or even assume that it's the enemy using someone else, when its truly the enemy using you.

If you think about an offense over and over again becomes exalted in your mind. It takes the place of where God should be. It becomes an idol as you are thinking and "worshipping" that thought more than God.

WOW! What a concept. Knowing this truth makes me all the more cast down any thought that would prevent me from exalting God in my thought life. God is who I adore and think about. He is the One I worship and dwell upon, not any twisted, offended, thought.
This brings us to the true reality of living. We are no longer entrapped by any offense and the possibility of a new one is no longer a threat to us. We see that stumbling block long before we come upon it and decide to walk around it!

offense brings along with it deception. The spirit convinces you that deeds done and words  spoken are about you, against you, and to attack you, but that is a lie! Don't fall for it.

Ask the Lord to heal your heart. I encourage you to allow the Holy Spirit to reveal any offense you have been holding onto. Write down the names of those involved. Ask God to forgive you for your un-forgiveness and release those that have offended you. Pray for them and if you have the opportunity, go to them and ask them to forgive you for your un-forgiveness. 

Also, pray against the spirit of offense. Recognize that its there to keep you from the fullness God has for you. God's purpose is to have His children live in unity and to work together to build the kingdom of God, not work against each other.

No person can do permanent damage to you if you are willing to be mature enough to refuse offense and trust God. This kind of attitude will make you a winner in life.Blessings,Alisa