Today’s New Covenant nugget is from Luke 17:1-4
One day Jesus taught His disciples this: “Betrayals are inevitable, but great devastation will come to the one guilty of betraying others. It would be better for him to have a heavy boulder tied around his neck and be hurled into the deepest sea than to face the punishment of betraying one of my dear ones! So be alert to your brother’s condition, and if you see him going the wrong direction, cry out and correct him. If there is true repentance on his part, forgive him. No matter how many times in one day your brother sins against you and says, ‘I’m sorry; I am changing; forgive me,’ you need to forgive him each and every time.”
Offenses, difficulty in relationships, betrayals and disappointments are inevitable as the bible says, but it’s how we choose to handle our attitude towards the relationship that matters to God. He is always looking at the heart and the attitude of heart.
The bible encourages us to speak up and share in love with our friends and loved ones when there needs to be a correction, but how many times do people hold back from communicating and speaking into a situation and instead, they walk away offended.
There are times when the Holy Spirit will lead you to not confront, but to pray instead, but whether confronting, or praying… do not suppress things and take on an offense.
Fear holds people back from communicating the way we should. Fear of speaking out or sometimes the fear of not knowing how the other person will react. This is where faith comes in. Be ready to step out in faith.
So many times over the years, I have watched my husband share in faith and boldness and speak into situations in people’s lives. I would sit listening in on his conversations and just see his heart of love and care being poured out… he would share insight from the Holy Spirit into other’s lives to help them and bring correction and insight into their lives. I often think, is it that some people just do not care enough about others to speak up when needed to… or, is it fear that holds them back?
Many people watch others in pain or in difficult situations and instead of praying, loving on, or speaking life and speaking the Word, they take offense at people’s lives and life-styles and miss out on the Holy Ghost opportunities to help in an attitude of love and care.
If you are dealing with a situation where someone is irritating you, bothering you or you are affected by their decisions, ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom on how to deal with them… do I just pray and not say anything or do I lovingly speak into their lives? If so, ask the Holy Spirit to give you the right words to say, then forgive, let go, and move on.
Don’t let offenses take root into your life. Offenses will rob you of walking in the anointing of God. Offenses will rob you of being able to minister freely the love of God to others. Offenses will open the door of the enemy into your life and bring hardness of heart and unforgiveness. Offenses will affect your ability to have good, godly relationships with others and offenses could rob you and prevent you from receiving God’s best for your life.
Take a step of Faith today… change the way you deal with those things that bother you… pray for them, forgive them, speak to them if the Holy Spirit leads you to do so, then move forward and refuse to get offended in Jesus’ Name.
Blessings on you, Esther
