“Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.” (Proverbs 19:11)
Recently I faced a situation that caused me to be a little less “slow to anger” than I would like. When we are offended, it is generally internalized as an attack, as it should be. I say that it should be, because offense is a spirit. It is a demonic attack that appeals to the flesh and disengages the Spirit. When the Spirit is disengaged we then do not utilize the fruit that is produced by walking a life in the Spirit. Why is this such an issue? If you are familiar with the New Testament, Jesus made it very clear what he thought of the fig tree that was not bearing fruit. This, for us, also presents a problem.
In a society that has little knowledge of right and wrong, or maybe choose to ignore that knowledge, it is easy for us to be provoked by the Enemy. Don’t be fooled and think that the Enemy will always show himself in some outlandish spectacle. Generally, he attacks in a subtle way through people, situations, emotions, thoughts, etc. It’s these areas that we least expect which cause the greatest reaction. If we react to a spirit of offense by speaking negatively, judging, or losing our temper, then we give the Enemy a foothold in our lives. The Bible clearly tells us to “give no place to the Devil.” I would challenge us all to take it a step further. When we give the Enemy a foothold, we should never believe that lie that it is Satan himself who always attacks. It is quite the contrary. The Bible tells us that we fight against multiple demonic forces in the heavens and in this world. Not only are we in danger of opening ourselves up to one spirit, but possibly multiple forces that come along for the ride.
Most importantly, when we choose to set our good sense to the side, our light begins to grow dim and therefore our ability to shine for Christ is diminished. No matter what may be going on around us, our duty to the Father is to always be a beacon of light to a lost and dying world. If we are caught off guard and distracted by offense, anger, or other fleshly matters, then we may miss an opportunity to speak life…shine the light of Christ into the dark places of a lost soul. What is more important my friend, the last word or bringing glory to God? As today’s Scripture states, when we practice good sense we walk in His glory and therefore bring Him Glory.
May the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit help us all today to practice good sense and bring glory to His Name.
Bishop Jarod Cruthis