Offenses

     I got a glimpse yesterday of the damage that an offense can do in a person's life.  An offense is something that hurt you deeply at some point in your life. There might be other definitions but this is the one I am interested in for the moment. The damage can reach all areas of your life. (Did I mention how gruesome slugs are. One is crawling on my screen right now. I had thought we vanquished them all. Sorry my mind wandered.) Usually there is bitterness that goes with it. The enemy uses deep hurts to try and get us to believe lies which if we do not realize the importance of letting go of the offense and forgiving the person that caused it, can permeate into many areas of our life. The lies then start ruling our life instead of truth or Jesus.
     The importance to forgive and let go is so important and sometimes incredibly hard to do. Maybe to emphasize this point, this morning some offenses of my past came at me. Before I realized it, I was mulling over them. Then it hit me what was going on. It takes a laying down of self to let go and forgive yet again, when self is screaming that we have a right to be angry. That it was unjust and not right. "Let us lay aside every weight.." It takes a laying down of self to stop mulling over it.
     The lies that we are tempted to believe and the doubt the enemy tries to plant in our minds need to be rejected out of hand. A thought comes that you know is not of God but you are comfortable with it because you have lived with it so long. It is also something of an excuse. To reject it and believe the truth is going to propel you out of your comfort zone. To be a productive Christian, we MUST believe the truth. We can not be a light in this dark world if we are believing lies.
     The fast continues. Yesterday, I come out of the bedroom and the girls are in gales over some little clip they are watching. I look at it and Stacie realizes it and runs over to put her hands over my eyes. Honestly!
     College starts this week. Quake! The ornithology class I am taking does not start until next week though.
     May your day be full of His glory.