Trust you’re doing well. As a follow-up to last week’s post I want to share with you on handling offenses. Please read on. HANDLING OFFENSES Genesis 45:1-15 “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32) The key to handling offenses is forgiveness. Offenses are ladders for promotion, only to the level we forgive. Joseph forgave his brothers long before they came to Egypt. He rather sought to encourage them to forgive themselves; “Do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you” (Genesis 45:5). In Paul’s writing to the Ephesians, he urged them to forgive each other; just as in Christ God forgave them. One may question Paul’s moral authority in giving such a directive since we saw in last week’s post how he felt offended by John Mark’s actions, thus leading to a separation between him and Barnabas. It will however delight you to know that Paul forgave John Mark and worked with him extensively. In his second letter to Timothy he said, “Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry” (2 Timothy 4:11). The more he grew in the Lord, the more he feared God and lived like him. I pray that the Lord will give us large hearts to be able to accommodate any magnitude of offense, so we can always release forgiveness. Be totally blessed!
Posted on: Mon, 05 Aug 2013 07:02:24 +0000