Taking Offence

 In the scriptures, the term "Offence" often refers to doing actual harm to someone, but in our culture today, people often take offence when no actual harm was done.  Offence is often taken just because a person has an emotional response to an outside stimuli, and can even be taken from their own imaginations of whatever they assume is happening.  This obviously places the person who takes offence when no harm was actually done, into the category of a controller, manipulator, etc.  Remember, this is when no damage was done.  Yet, a person who does damage to others, is an offender.  Even though it is up to the person who was harmed to forgive, the person who did the harm is also required to repent.  This reveals an interesting thought; To even take offence when the damage was intentionally caused, seems a poor choice, since we are trying to follow the example of the Saviour and forgive, which is not always an easy task.  Yet for our Lord's sake, we must try!  

My advice is simple; Do not take offence when the offence was not intentional.  Do not take offence when the offence was intentional.  Instead, try to solve the situation, so everyone can move forward.  

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