So watch yourselves.  “If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him.  If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.”   The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”
            – Luke 17:3-5

Opportunities to be offended are bound to come in our lives.  Offenses usually come from disappointments – in people’s behavior, in outcomes of situations, in how we think God ought to act.

If we choose to hold on to offenses it stops our growth and prevents the Kingdom of God from flowing in our lives.  We need to be ruthless in rooting offenses out of our lives so we can walk together with one another in freedom.

Some practical steps to deal with offenses include:

  • Ask God to examine your heart first (Psalm 139:23-24)
  • Ask yourself, “What benefit will it produce if I go to that person?”
  • Make a choice to forgive
  • Forgive regardless of the other person’s response
  • Be specific and break the power of individual offenses

For more thoughts about how to deal with offenses, please visit the sermon page and listen to the message from 5/23/2010.