Overlooking Offenses
A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense.
Proverbs 19:11
I have a friend who tells a story of a lesson
the Lord taught him throughhis wife. It seems
that every time he and his wife would get in
the car totravel somewhere, his wife had a
strong need to direct his driving. She would
tell him where to turn and when to turn, even
in their own subdivision. It was such a horrible
habit that it drove my f! riend crazy and became
the source of many an argument. Finally, one
day my friend concluded that the Lord was trying
to teach him something through this experience.
He decided he would let go of his need to be
free from this correction. He began to affirm his
wife and even thank her for her input. It was
excruciatingly painful to do this from where he
sat.
A few months passed. He let go of the entire
situation and actually got to a place where it
just didn't matter to him anymore. An interesting
thing happened a few months later. One day
his wife looked at him and said, "John, I
just realized that I have been directing your
driving all these years and now realize why I do
that. It goes back to my childhood when I had to
direct my younger brothers and sisters. I am
so sorry I have been doing that."
My friend nearly fell out of his seat!
Whenever we work close to another person,
whether in an office or home, small offenses
can become the source of great conflict.!
Resentment and irritability soon follow. God
brings these "offenses" into our lives to develop
character qualities in us. He uses individuals
in our lives to accomplish his goal of making us
more Christ-like. So the next time you
complain or resist a habit or action from someone
close to you, ask God if it has been placed there
to develop some quality in you.
Pride is the root source of the need to change
another person. A man's wisdom gives him
patience-to let go of little offenses. This is where
spiritual maturity is seen in the day-to-day activity
of life. Is there someone close to you who has some
habit you really want to change? Give up that desire
to the Lord. Who knows, He may even change it
after you let go of the need to change it.
Proverbs 19:11
I have a friend who tells a story of a lesson
the Lord taught him throughhis wife. It seems
that every time he and his wife would get in
the car totravel somewhere, his wife had a
strong need to direct his driving. She would
tell him where to turn and when to turn, even
in their own subdivision. It was such a horrible
habit that it drove my f! riend crazy and became
the source of many an argument. Finally, one
day my friend concluded that the Lord was trying
to teach him something through this experience.
He decided he would let go of his need to be
free from this correction. He began to affirm his
wife and even thank her for her input. It was
excruciatingly painful to do this from where he
sat.
A few months passed. He let go of the entire
situation and actually got to a place where it
just didn't matter to him anymore. An interesting
thing happened a few months later. One day
his wife looked at him and said, "John, I
just realized that I have been directing your
driving all these years and now realize why I do
that. It goes back to my childhood when I had to
direct my younger brothers and sisters. I am
so sorry I have been doing that."
My friend nearly fell out of his seat!
Whenever we work close to another person,
whether in an office or home, small offenses
can become the source of great conflict.!
Resentment and irritability soon follow. God
brings these "offenses" into our lives to develop
character qualities in us. He uses individuals
in our lives to accomplish his goal of making us
more Christ-like. So the next time you
complain or resist a habit or action from someone
close to you, ask God if it has been placed there
to develop some quality in you.
Pride is the root source of the need to change
another person. A man's wisdom gives him
patience-to let go of little offenses. This is where
spiritual maturity is seen in the day-to-day activity
of life. Is there someone close to you who has some
habit you really want to change? Give up that desire
to the Lord. Who knows, He may even change it
after you let go of the need to change it.