Matthew 16:23
Then Jesus made it clear to his disciples that it was now necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, submit to an ordeal of suffering at the hands of the religious leaders, be killed, and then on the third day be raised up alive. Peter took him in hand, protesting, "Impossible, Master! That can never be!"
But Jesus didn't swerve. "Peter, get out of my way. Satan, get lost. You have no idea how God works."
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
I don’t know about you, but I probably struggle with offense as much – or more – than anything else the devil throws at me. I am an easy mark, I guess. And maybe you are, too! When we are offended, Satan claps and laughs. I know that offense is one of the most frequently discussed topics in the New Testament. Jesus reminds us over and again not to be offended. But that doesn’t stop the devil from trying to ruffle our feathers… and he has a pretty hefty success rate – at least with me!
Recently I read a devotional that spoke of offense as a self-centered behavior. When we are offended, we think of ourselves. When we begin to focus more on God and less on ourselves, we cannot be offended. The offense means nothing to us. I really want that… don’t you? I want to be so focused on God and serving Him… living a full life in Christ and His teachings… that I have no time or energy for dwelling on offenses.
Does this mean that people will no longer offend me or insult me? Does this mean that Satan will stop trying to use offense to trip me up and make me a little neurotic? Absolutely not! But I can lean on God and ask Him to strengthen my resolve to ignore these ploys. I can ask Him to deepen my focus on Jesus and fill my heart and mind with thoughts of Him… until there is absolutely NO room for thoughts of the offense.
I’m with Peter… I would have been offended at the thought of the Romans abusing Jesus. And you may feel your feelings of offense are justified. You may feel, “I was wronged”… and maybe you were. But dwelling on the offense gets us nowhere. It makes us miserable and really doesn’t hurt the offender in the least. Truly the only offense you should acknowledge is that of Satan… and only long enough to tell him to “beat it!” and to turn to Jesus for strength and courage.
Don’t let the devil win – even if only momentarily. Kick him to the curb… along with all of his attempts to drag you down in offense. When you feel wronged or offended, stop and pray for deliverance. Ask God to strengthen you… to take the offense… to give you confidence and courage. Then move on and get busy doing the work you have been called to as Jesus’ disciple. Hold your head high and say, “I will not let the devil have the last laugh.” Focus on Christ… fill your head and heart with thoughts of Him… and leave no room for any of the devil’s tools. Be able to truly say, “No offense taken… and mean it!”
©2012 Debbie Robus
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