You can’t move on if you’re still holding onto offense.
“Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteosuness of God.” – James 1:19-20
Woe is me and my over-analytical brain, working like a dog; 168 hours a week, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd shift. Sometimes my thoughts get running and before I know it they’ve sprinted several meters ahead and left me in the dust. At times this power can be inspiring, and helpful; enabling yourself to figure out complex situations and to decipher solutions. However, if not manifested in a productive way this power can quickly become a paralysis.
Over-thinking is a dangerous thing, a habitual thing, a crippling thing.
So often in life we beset ourselves by what another person or group of people may or may not think about us. It can be seen all across the board:
From the 5 year olds tears of rejection, being once again excluded from the coloring table; you can’t sit with us.
To the teenagers that feel pressure to fit in.
Even us adults getting caught up in the game, playing a never ending board of ‘He said, She said’ Monopoly.
We find oursleves time and time again– perpetually wounded by the dagger of assumption and excess thought.
It has been reported that 85% of what we worry about never comes to pass. If that isn’t proof of a excess thought in our culture, i don’t know what is.
In a world of rising free-thinkers I would challenge their beliefs and say think a little less.
I challenge you to stop analyizing another’s intent and rather start working to perfect your love, perfect your long-suffering, and perfect your peace. Becuase of Jesus we don’t have to figure everything out. His word that is settled in the Heavens can tell us how to feel in each moment if we allow.
Don’t tie your hands and feet with this paralysis.
Perhaps they did talk about you behind your back, perhaps they didn’t.
Perhaps they don’t like you as much as so and so, perhaps they do.
Perhaps they ignored you, perhaps they just didn’t see you.
“you can’t move on if you’re still holding on to offense.”
Paralysis is the loss of the ability to move and that is exactly what happens when you hold on to offense. Whether it be persumed or factual offense is void, the matter is that if you want to move on, if you want to grow in God and as a person you must let go of this cognitive habit that is criippling you and stunting your growth.
I heard someone once say,
“strive to be hard to offend”
I believe that’s very good advice. We become paralyzed by our meditation on offenses, by our quickness to become offended.
The solution to all this is simply the word of God. God tells us to meditate on His word [Psalm1:2] begin to replace every thought of rejection, every lie of inadaquacy, every shackle of doubt and worry with the precious truth of Jesus and His word.
Strive to be hard to offend and be gentle.
Be swift to hear and listen to others, prayerfully meet and ask questions so you can reconcile.
Be slow to speak and think before you unbridle your tongue and cause damage, especially on grounds of assumption.
Be slow to wrath and be hard to offend, put it far from you.
Decide today to move on past offenses and hurt feelings, your life is short and worth so much more than that. let loose of that crippling paralysis and move on with power.