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When Others Offend Us |
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When Others Offend Us
OVERLOOKING OFFENSES
A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense. Prov. 19:11
The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.
Ps. 103:8-10
* Develop a Godly Attitude towards the Conflict
Scripture: Phil. 4:2-9
1. Rejoice in the Lord always (v. 4)
1. Rejoice that Christ has forgiven you.
2. Rejoice that we have the Holy Spirit to guide us
as our counselor along with God’s Word.
3. Rejoice that this situation is not out of God’s
control.
2. Be gentle towards your husband. (v.5)
GENTLENESS : fair, forbearing, not insisting on the
letter of the law, looks "humanely and reasonably
at the facts of a case, not contentiousness;
characterizing a nurse with trying children or a
teacher with refractory scholars, or of parents
toward their children.” (Vine’s)
3. Pray about the situation (v. 6)
* Replace worry with “prayer and petition, with
thanksgiving.”
- Don’t dwell on difficult circumstances
- Don’t dwell on wrong things done/or may be done
to you.
- Thank God for the things he has already done for
you in this situation and may do.
- Applying these principles will bring peace to
your mind.
4. Change the way you are looking at your husband. (v. 8)
- Look for what is true in the other person. Set
your heart to think on the good things
about your husband while you are trying to solve
this conflict.
5. Practice what you have learned.
- Use God’s principles to check your attitude and
make changes.
- Practicing peacemaking principles will make it
easier to overlook minor offenses.
1 Cor 13:5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked (exasperated), thinketh no evil;
Prov 17:9 He who covers over an offense promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.
Confronting Offenses
1. If it dishonors God
- Does the sin effect their Christian witness?
Rom 2:23-24 You who brag about the law, do you
dishonor God by breaking the law?
As it is written: "God's name is blasphemed
among the Gentilesbecause of you." (NIV)
2. If it‘s hurting your relationship
- Are you unable/unwilling to forgive the
person? Eph. 4:32
- Has it effected your relationship?
3. If it’s hurting others
- Child abuse, drunken driving, spousal
abuse, stealing. Gal 6:1
- Are they encouraging others to sin by
their behavior? 1 Cor.5:1-13
- Are they causing division in the church?
Titus 3:10
4. If it’s hurting the offender
We are to look out for the well-being of
our family and congregation.
* Prov. 24:11-12, Gal. 6:1, James 5:19-20
- Alcohol abuse, etc.
- Is it effecting their relationships
Information gleaned from The Peacemaker by Ken Sande
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