Still Amazed ....

God still amazes me.  I think, in a way, the way that God chooses to speak to me is kind of funny.  When I have been praying about a problem, I will turn on Joyce Meyer or pick up a book to read and "Bam" there is it .. the answer to my situation.   It happened again tonight. 

I am a person that often gets offended by other people.    I got offended today,  yet again by a family member.  I really prayed about the situation and asked God to handle things for me, because I was just tired of doing it myself.  I wasn't doing very well, by myself.  (You would think I would learn by now ... lol)  So, tonight I thought I would read a little bit in a Joyce Meyer book that I have been reading off and on.  Guess what was the chapter on? On letting people offend us!!  Holy Cow!!!  Are you kidding me????

OHHH ... how this chapter has slapped me upside the head.  I didn't realize until reading this chapter, just how offended I was getting and how God doesn't want us to be offended.  When we let people offend  us we are letting Satan in ... boy, my door must be wide open on this one.  The Lord showed me 'ALL' the ways that I have been offended in the past. 

Did you realize that by letting others offended us it can cause all kind of things to happen?  In the book it says:  One of Satan's most deceptive and insidious kinds of bait is something every Christian has encountered - offense.  Actually, offense itself is not deadly .. but if we pick it up and consume it an feed on it in our hearts, then we have become offended.  Offended people produce much fruit, such as hurt, anger, outrage, jealousy, resentment, strife, bitterness, hatred, and envy.  Some of the consequences of picking up an offense are insults, attacks, wounding, division, separation, broken relationships, betrayal and backsliding.

We meditate too much on what the offensive person has done to us, and we fail to realize what we are doing to ourselves by taking the bait of Satan.  Keep remembering that being offended will not change the person, but it does change you!!!  Oh how true ..... this one I am working on!!  It makes us miserable and steals our peace and joy, so why not prepare ourselves mentally not to fall into Satan's trap?

I asked the Lord who all I let offend me and I was surprised at the many names that just kept coming to my mind.  I really didn't realize there were so many.  Then I got to thinking about the consequences that Joyce spoke about and how it really could affect your life.  It could be causing divorces, splits between parents and their kids, between siblings, churches, and the list goes on and on. 

Thank you Lord, for bringing this to my attention and helping me change this area of my life.  I long to NOT let people offend me and for me to keep my peace and joy.  I will NOT let Satan in this door anymore.