Offense

As I was walking over to the coffee shop, I was thinking about how Jesus says to be aware of offense.

I was talking to my sister-in-law about this, and I’m pretty sure that that every offense we feel reveals a religious mindset inside of us. This is not about whether what the person did to us is right or wrong, but more about how we react or choose how to respond in a situation.

I’ll never forget what Danny Silk said about the word responsibility. Response + Ability. In other words our ability to respond Christ-like towards a situation, will determine how responsible we really are. If we merely react, we’re still under the control of what someone else said or did. The fruit of the Holy Spirit is “self-control.”

As Jesus was hanging on the cross, He said forgive them for they do not know what they do. Jesus displayed unconditional love until death. Even when he hung on the cross for our sins, he didn’t react. He had every right to call legions of angels to his aid, but he knew what was on the line and chose to forgive.