If your going to take offense, take the gate too!
Posted by Benjamin Lloyd Stewart on June 3rd, 2010
@http://benjaminlloyd.org/?m=201005

Ha, that was something my father used to say and it has stuck with me through my short life thus far. It really has a lot to do with our response to offense. You HAVE to love the Word of God when it says in Luke 6:27-30:

27″But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,

28bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

29“Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either.

30“Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back.

If only Christians really lived like that. We would never have to pull teeth to get a project done for our community, we would never have conflict, and we would never get our feelings hurt! It is our job to love, not take offense. In fact, we are not allowed to get our feelings hurt, no matter how harsh the judgement or offense. I know that it is a struggle for us all, but the first thing we have to do is to stop making excuses. In a consultation, or strategic planning process, the first step is to assess the situation. What are the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats? What are we doing well, and what are we failing at doing? In our lives, we have to be willing to do the same thing. We have to ask ourselves if we are living out our potential. We HAVE to stop making excuses;

“I LOVE PEOPLE, I DO. I MEAN, I DON’T WANT ANYONE TO GO TO HELL OR ANYTHING.”

“I LOVE THEM, BUT I JUST DON’T LIKE THEM.”

“THE ONLY WAY I CAN LOVE THEM IS TO AVOID THEM.’

Yep, you have it all figured out… except… you don’t.

First Statement: “I LOVE PEOPLE, I DO. I MEAN, I DON’T WANT ANYONE TO GO TO HELL OR ANYTHING.” Loving someone to the point of not wanting them go to hell is being willing to reach them so they do not. Christ didn’t want anyone to be condemned to the lake of fire, so His response was to die for them. Those people who have OFFENDED us (because that is why we have a hard time loving them – call it what it is) deserve the Love of God, who are we to disqualify them

Second Statement: “I LOVE THEM, BUT I JUST DON’T LIKE THEM.” I challenge you to show me a scripture where Jesus didn’t like someone? Ok, so He yelled at the moneychangers… But seriously, Jesus would walk by a crowd and would be MOVED with compassion. Moved with compassion – it would literally draw Him to make a decision to “like” them enough to love them, or ignore the drawing of the Spirit. We have to be careful in this part of our lives. It is dangerous to think that love doesn’t require a liking. That will suck the compassion out of the relationship, which will end up in bitterness. Let me be certain to say, that you don’t have to LIKE their behavior. We just have to see them the way that Christ did… Then we not only like them, we love them.

Third Statement: “THE ONLY WAY I CAN LOVE THEM IS TO AVOID THEM.” Again, Jesus was moved with compassion. He would literally have dinner with the sinners and the publicans. It was also obvious that He didn’t avoid the Pharisees and the Sadducees, because the Gospels are full of conversations with them. Sure, He was correcting them and telling them that they have some issues, but you know what – He did for them too. And what better example of that love than to die for the very one who nailed you to the cross and say “Father, forgive them. For they know not what they do.”

Our relationship with God is not to be self centered or self indulgent. It supposed to be others focused and God sourced. It has nothing to do with us. At what point do we realize that offense takes the power out of our hands, and it is truly our fault that we are offended. As believers, we are to live FREE of the bondage of sin, and that bondage includes offense. Forgiveness requires nothing of the individual. Believe it or not, they don’t have to be sorry. Thank God Jesus set it up that way for us!

Go love someone.

B