Category Archives: Offence

Devotionals, Forgiveness, Jealousy, Offence

A Defining Moment ¦ Devotional

Scripture: Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. – Colossians 3:12-13

Though I was only about eight years old at the time, I can remember the moment as if it were yesterday. It was Christmas day and a close family member had arrived bearing gifts for my brother and I.

Excitedly I opened my gift and half watched my brother opening his at the same time. Instantly I could see that my brother’s gift was of greater value than my own. What an injustice!

In that moment time seemed to stop, as I weighed up how I should respond in my heart to the situation.

Just a few days ago I felt the Lord say to me “David, that moment was one of the most defining moments in your life. If you had responded differently, you would have cut yourself off from your brother and also from the gift-giver. Instead, you opened up your life to many blessings”.

How did I open up my life to many blessings?

I made the choice to forgive those who hurt me and to be truly happy for those who are successful (without allowing offence or jealousy to creep in). At the time it felt like the hardest decision I had ever made. Since then many much harder ‘injustices’ have occurred in my life but that one was special because that day I decided to make this response the ‘default’ setting of my heart.

I believe this heart attitude is the way of the cross. For Jesus to be hanging there was the greatest injustice that ever took place in the history of the world. His response? ‘Father forgive them, for they know not what they do’ (Luke 23:34) and we know that ‘out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks’ (Matthew 12:34b).

I don’t know exactly why as an eight year old I chose the way of the cross because I certainly didn’t understand what I do now. However what I do know is that one year earlier I accepted the gospel and something changed in my heart. Even so, I still had a decision to make. Have you allowed the gospel to dictate the default setting of your heart? Be honest with yourself… is there any offence or jealousy in your heart right now? Who do you need to forgive today?

Prayer: Father, I thank You that Jesus was able to forgive the greatest injustice of all time and that the same Spirit that enabled Him to do it lives in me today. I ask that You would enable me now to forgive all those who have hurt me. Please heal the pain that has been caused and help me to make forgiveness the default setting of my heart, in Jesus’ name. Amen

Source:  Seeds of the Kingdom

BONUS: Jesus said that in the last days ‘many will be offended’. If you want to learn how rid your life of offence and truly forgive from your heart (even if you feel like you can’t), watch this video.

Devotionals, End Times, Forgiveness, Offence

Many Will Be Offended ¦ Devotional

Scripture: “And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.” – Matthew 24:10

As well as famines, earthquakes and wars, Jesus said that one of the things that will mark the last days is that many will become offended.

To be offended is to have had an offence committed against you (either actual or perceived) that you have not yet chosen to completely hand over to God and release all judgement to Him. You can recognise it by the way you feel when you think about the person who hurt you, or when you see them in the street.

Offence causes our love to grow cold and it eats away at the very life that God has placed within us. Scripture says that if you allow a bitter root to grow up inside you, it will not only cause trouble and defile you but it will also defile those around you (Hebrews 12:15).

Can I challenge you today to search your heart and see if there is any offence present. Ask yourself: Have I found myself moaning or complaining in my heart about my spouse, my boss, my pastor, one of my family members or one of my friends? Has the thought crossed my mind recently that my life would be much better if a certain person hadn’t done a certain thing?

If you have been hurt and your heart has been damaged, the key to restoring the life within you is forgiveness. The person who is quick to forgive will not find their love growing cold. Your broken heart can be healed if you are willing to obey the one who heals the broken hearted.

Prayer: Father, thank you that you have extended your unfathomable mercy to me. I am sorry that I have not always been quick to extend that same mercy to others. I come before you humbly today and choose to forgive from my heart everybody who has ever hurt me. I ask that as I walk in forgiveness, you will bring deep healing to my heart and that you would restore my life and my ability to love others, even my enemies. Thank you for coming to heal the broken hearted and for giving us the greatest example of forgiveness the world has ever seen. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Source:  Seeds of the Kingdom

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