Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes! Matthew 18:7 NKJV
I seethed with anger for a whole week. My friend attempted to manipulate my behavior through guilt. That may work on some people. It just made me mad. I felt bullied and trampled on rather than loved and cherished.
I wish I would have known the origin of the words “offense” and “offended.” That might have saved me hours of wasted energy, thinking about how I would “correct” her.
Originally, “offense” meant a bait-stick of a trap to catch animals. Metaphorically, the word means a snare or a stumbling block. In other words, that which hinders right thinking or actions, leading to error or sin (New Spirit Filled Life Bible, pg. 1321).
So, I took the bait. I was caught in the snare of wrong thinking and wrong acting. Yikes!
I am happy to report that I did not say or do the wrong thing. However, I squandered seven days and several nights in wrong thinking. I finally realized that it was not my job to “correct” her. That is God’s job. My job is to forgive her and love her.
Father, next time I am offended remind me that it is a hinderance to thinking and acting rightly. Help me to refuse the bait. Let me forgive and move forward. Amen.