Forgiveness. Offense. Time Out

Sunday at church our pastor spoke on the topic of forgiveness and offense; something I've heard so many times but yet for some reason there was such profound revelation flowing. When Jesus was on the cross they offered up to Him a gall (bile/nasty/poison like liquid)- which represented offense/bitterness in the message. Jesus took a sip and as soon as He tasted it, He spit it out. He didn't even allow it into His body. (application: instead of taking on the offense and bitterness of what was being done to Him, He chose not even to allow it inside His body, He spit it out-He didn't receive that offense, that bitterness).

Then on top of all of the crap He had been through, the ridicule, the brutal beating and torture, the mockery, before His very last breath He asked God to FORGIVE THEM. Woah. I mean seriously. Think how upset we get when someone cuts us off on the road or does something to us that we feel is wrong and multiply that by some infinite number that I cannot come up with to compare what Jesus had to face.

We don't have to receive offense...when someone offends us it's our choice to spit it out, or swallow it and allow it to breed bitterness within us.

That was huge for me. And it really went down into the deep places. So as encouragement to all readers out there: you have a choice to become offended when someone wrongs you. Spit it out, or swallow it.

I still have MUCh to learn and walk out in terms of forgiveness, but this changed my whole outlook regarding the situation.



I had to fly some things to God and just let go. (real simple small things-but important to Him nonetheless) I don't want anything in the way of getting closer to YOU.