A TRAP
READ: 2 Corinthians 2:10-11
Woe unto the world because of offences! For it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!
Matthew 18:7
Offence and unforgiveness are satan’s great weapons against the church. Once I was offended greatly by the government of my country because they attacked our church and destroyed our building illegally. A senior minister who advised me at the time warned me about becoming offended. He said, “If you allow hurt to grow in you, it will change you and change your message. Instead of preaching Christ, you will preach your wounds.”
Indeed, hurt and offended people only preach and speak from their wounds and hurts. Offence changes a person almost like salvation changes a person. Offence is something that happens when satan has targeted you for destruction and elimination. Every person must set himself in readiness to be hurt one day. Once you are offended, a great plan to destroy you has been set in motion.
Do not take the subject of offence lightly. Offence will remove you from the race when nothing else works against you. Do not also think you cannot be taken down by any of the enemy’s tricks. Indeed, satan’s mature plan against you is to make you offended.
I once read a story about satan’s plans to destroy some Christians. In the story, he organized a sale of some outdated items in his arsenal. However, there were two items, which were not on sale at all: offence and fornication. When asked why he was not selling those two items, Satan answered that these were his best items. He always had a hundred per cent success rate when he used them (offence and fornication). No matter how outdated and frivolous they seemed, they always worked. Satan explained that these pieces of equipment (offence and fornication) were of international quality and worked, irrespective of country, race, tribe, colour, language or age.