There are several different kinds of offense that believers commonly face. You see, all of us have been offended by someone at one time or another. And, of course, offense works both ways. I'm sure we have all been used by the enemy to offend someone else as well! But we must get to the place in our spiritual walk where we not only refrain from offending others, but we overcome the offenses done to us.
Offenses Come Back to You
Why is this subject of overcoming offense so crucial? Well, offenses are like boomerangs. As a child, I used to watch cartoons in which one of the cartoon characters would throw a boomerang into the distance and then walk away, thinking that the boomerang was gone forever. But then all of a sudden, it would come back and hit him on the head!
If you throw a boomerang the correct way, it will come back to you. It's the same way with offenses: when you offend another person, that offense will usually return to you in one form or another.
The reason it is so important not to offend others is because the Bible clearly tells us in Galatians 6:7 that "whatever we sow, we reap...." It doesn't matter whether you send out boomerangs of kindness or offense, they will always come back to you!
Offenses Will Come
Let's look at what Jesus said about offenses in Matthew 18:7: "Woe unto the world because of offenses! For it must needs be that offenses come; but woe to that man by whom the offense cometh!"
Jesus tells us here that offenses will come our way. Isn't that exciting? No, most Christians don't consider that kind of news exciting at all! Nor do they rejoice when Jesus promises, "In the world ye shall have tribulation" (John 16:33). However, Jesus ends that statement with a note of comfort: But be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
Offenses will come, but you can be an overcomer in every situation, no matter what anyone may do to you. God shows you in His Word how to let go of offense and walk in victory.
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers