Many of us live our lives offended. We are offended by friends. We are offended by relatives. We are offended by even our mom or our dad. Why? The reasons are as many as the offenses and none of them can stand in the light of what Christ did for us when we were still at war with Him. None of them. He took all our sin, grief and sorrow upon Himself and suffered and died for our sin...He took the penalty...so that we could live with Him forever. Many of us are even offended at that. They tread on the Son of God, so to speak who through His death on the cross reached out to them in love.
I am convinced being offended is almost like a bad habit that some of us get in to. Maybe we just do it without much thought and think we are justified. If you think this way then you are blinded by the darkness that is in side. Stop it! Purpose in your heart to turn toward the Light that came into this world to shine in the very darkness you find yourself inside. This life is not about you. It is about Him...it is His story. For you to get in the way with your own offenses is wrong. There are people dying without Christ and we are not looking to shine His light we are looking justify ourselves. Christ is the just and the justifier. Commit yourself to Him. who judges righteously. Let Him fight your battles for you.....You hold your peace. Vengeance is Mine, the Lord tells us, I will repay.
The Bible is clear...as much as depends on you live peaceably with all men. It says in Hebrews 12:14 to pursue peace with all people. We certainly will not be able to reach that goal but we should pursue it just the same. Romans 12:18 says "If it is possible, as much depends on you, live peaceably with all men." There are going to be those who will refuse to live in peace with you. BUT make sure that you have done everything you can to reconcile...do not let it be your own stubbornness and pride that keeps the relationship from bearing fruit for Him. Hebrews 12:14 continues like this:
"Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled; lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears."
This life that you are living is about Him...not you. Follow Him who:
“ Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth” who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.
