Live Unoffended

One morning as I sat down to do my morning Scripture reading, I picked up a book sitting next to my chair - "Circle Makers" by Mark Batterson. I just flipped through the yet-unfinished half and my eyes dropped to the phrase - LIVE UNOFFENDED.

My eye briefly scanned a sentence or two and was drawn to the idea of God's sovereignty. That thought stuck with me -- live unoffended. Oh, how much time, energy and effort are wasted by mulling over a perceived offense? I've had people come back to me and say - "I passed you on Tuesday (2-3 days prior) and you didn't say 'Hi' - are you upset with me?" I wouldn't even remember seeing them. Oh, but I'm just as guilty, thinking I know why someone did or said something or didn't do or say something. OH, WHAT A WASTE! And we are probably wrong.

When we carry an offense -
1. It drains our energy
2. It distracts our attention
3. It is a result of living life focused on self
4. We are failing to love others as we love ourselves
5. It is sin

As I thought about it, in a sense - living unoffended is an acknowledgement and evidence of a life fully submitted and surrendered to the sovereignty of God, unwilling to waste time dwelling on a perceived offense which the enemy wants to blow way out of proportion to keep us distracted from what really matters --- JESUS.

Oh, Lord, I want to live unoffended, unwilling to be robbed of that which is most important, most precious, not me, but Thee.

Blessings,
Diane

PS - When I read more carefully pg. 88-89 of Batterson's book the concept of living unoffended was referring to not being offended by God when He answers others' prayers and not yours, but for me that morning - this was the lesson God wanted me to hear.