The "O" Word

My Pastor's had a word at the beginning of the year that 2012 is the year to live amazingly.

For each person, living amazingly can mean different things.  For her, she said the Lord started dealing with her on taking things out of her diet and becoming a runner. She also said this: "The year to live amazingly means: the year of no offense"

When those words left her lips, they landed right into my heart and I knew that was what God was speaking to me this year as well. Below are thoughts, notes, and biblical truths to help in living without offense.

First of all, offenses will come.  The bible says in Luke 17:1
Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come!
They will come, but woe, to those THROUGH whom they come. meaning; work to live a life where you don't cause offense and even if you do, there is is grace for you and ways biblically to handle it.

Proverbs 19:11-  A person’s wisdom yields patience;  it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.
Overlook- to pass beyond.  
* When you can pass beyond an offense you are honoring God.  It is a man's glory (high acheivment) to pass over an offense.
Offense comes unannounced and is supposed to "hit" and cause you to backslide. Don't let it win!
It's used to create a wedge between your covenant relationships.

*Sow a seed of love for offense. “Sow seeds of love and you will reap a harvest- even if it’s in a different field than the one you expect!”

“Forgiveness is not a choice of emotions; it is an action of faith!”
offense keeps us self-focused and unproductive instead of being God-focused and accomplishing His purpose for our lives.”


Offense is opposite of love Anything opposite of love is sin because God is love. Anything opposite of who HE is .... is unrighteous.
Offense = sin  Offense= UnrighteousnessOffense will cause you to pay a price greater than you can afford. You may not see it now, but there is a price.

Offense: comes to Divide you from your call

Proverbs  17:9 He who covers and forgives an offense seeks love, but he who repeats or harps on a matter separates even close friends.Nurture your relationships
Sin (offense)  can destroy them. Communuication is key.
Offense begins to separate-  In offense you begin to think selfish (I have been hurt)  not selfless (they need mercy)
Have you ever been offended by something only to realize it was just a misunderstanding? Or that your interpretation of some act was not at all they way the other meant it?   Communicate. Bring your offense to your brother or sister.

Matthew 18:15  If your brother wrongs you, go and show him his fault, between you and him privately. If he listens to you, you have won back your brother.

Even if you "think" someone may be offended by YOU- there is a solution in the word:
Matthew 5:23-24  So if when you are offering your gift at the altar you there remember that your brother has any [grievance] against you,  Leave your gift at the altar and go. First make peace with your brother, and then come back and present your gift.
*People can't be accountable for what they don't know*
1 Corinthians 13:13 And so faith, hope, love abide [faith—conviction and belief respecting man’s relation to God and divine things; hope—joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation; love—true affection for God and man, growing out of God’s love for and in us], these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Offense has a language- Jealousy, silent treatment, gossip, back-biting, anger, resentment, grudges, vengence, cutting them off, harping on the matter, isolation, feelings of rejection etc..

What offensive language are you carrying?*Don't let an incident become an issue Let downs happen, hurts happen, disappointments happen- they are incidences that the enemy will try to use to create an issue.

Incidence (an occurance)
Issue (ciculation or causing to flow out)

Is it possible to live offense free?
Yes... As HE is so are WE in the world  1 John 4:17
As we allow the Holy Spirit to dwell in our hearts and make us more ike Christ...we will live a life without offense. As  HE is.. so shall we be.

This takes a true heart of humility and grace.

ROOTED

I've been thinking a lot lately about being Rooted:

Rooted has two different definitions. Rooted: firmly planted, deeply established.

Rooted: to be plucked up, pulled out.

God has shown me that it's very important to be rooted in life. Not to be easily swayed, pulled up or removed. So often, people allow winds, turmoil, drama and offense to cause them to be uprooted from work, family, friends And churches. I'm learning the importance of being planted. Having a sure footing in spite of...

There will always be opportunities to become angry, pull away, draw distance( especially when we're wronged) but, in spite of sin and unrighteousness, God has remained rooted to us.

Rooted (firmly planted) is an attribute of Christ and as a Christian I must be as He is.

In fact, the bible says in: 1 John 4:17 As He is, so are WE in the world.

 I'm just at a place where I'm thankful for who God is in my life. Thankful for the calling of His heart to mine: calling forth commitment, loyalty and being rooted.

He's showing me the patterns in my life, the lives of friends and others in my life who have remained rooted. Those who have a pattern to be easily uprooted. Just re-evaluating who is a firm tree and who isn't.  Where I personally need to allow my roots to go deeper.   Time to change!