April 11, 2013
How Did I Offend Thee – Are You Counting the Ways
My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation. For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body. Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth. Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh. Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
James 3:1-18
“It takes your enemy and your friend, working together to hurt you to the heart: the one to slander you and the other to get the news to you.”
- Mark Twain
Does it ever seem like, no matter how hard you might try not to, you still end up offending someone, somehow? Yet, realizing how often unintended offenses occur and how hurtful they can be, still so many Christians still go about the task of committing willful and purposeful offenses with little or no care or concern for those to whom they may be offending.
It has been my experience from a lifetime of being in the church that the deepest offenses I have encountered and the worst hurts I have been dealt have not come from those outside the fellowship of believers; but rather they have come at the hands of those who, more often than not, consider themselves viable leaders within the Christian community.
Is it any wonder why our churches struggle and why we have such a difficult time reaching a lost and dying world, when we can’t even learn how to treat each other?
I have often heard it said that ‘charity begins at home;’ if charity is birthed out of a sense of love and compassion doesn’t it make sense that as Children of the Most High God, we need to learn how to practice loving one another within our family, so that we can more effectively go out and love the world that we want to persuade to join us by becoming members of our tribe through the shed blood of Jesus Christ?
Prayer:
Father, help me not to be one of those family members of whom people say, ‘with friends like this – I don’t need enemies.’
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