(Guest contributor Mave Moyer brings us the DWOD for June 18, 2014…be blessed!)

Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense. (Proverbs 19:11 )

From time to time probably most of us find ourselves offended by something someone did or said. Maybe we were left out of a party that everyone else is going to. Or our co-worker gets praised in a meeting, but none of our efforts are even acknowledged or our opinions aren’t valued the way we think they should be. Our brother or our sister ticks us off. Our husband or our wife does or says something we don’t like.

Whatever it is, whoever it is, whatever expectation we put on others–as soon as it is not met–we can be offended if we choose to.

The Bible admonishes us to not be oversensitive. “Do not take to heart everything people say, lest you hear your servant cursing you. For many times, also, your own heart has known that even you have cursed others” (Ecclesiastes 7:21-22).

We must keep our flesh in submission to our spirit. Our flesh hates to be talked about, criticized, interrupted, told what to do, corrected.

1 Corinthians 13:5 tells us that a vital aspect of love is to not be “easily provoked” or “stirred to anger”. Those of us who love God’s law and understand His Word will not allow small irritants and annoyances to drive a wedge between us and others.

Proverbs 11:12 says: “He who is devoid of wisdom despises his neighbour, but a man of understanding holds his peace.”

Certainly, these verses are not telling us that we should never confront another person about a serious problem. For there may be a time when something happens that we will need to go to our brother, as we are commanded in Matthew 18:15-17.

However, confronting others should not be something we are doing on a regular basis. We don’t want to be the proverbial “contentious woman” (or man) who is just itching to be offended–all-too-ready to tell others off and put them in their place, while making them meet our unrealistic expectations…or else. No one wants to spend time around someone like that. It’s like living on egg shells.

Or maybe we aren’t “confrontational,” but we get just as offended, and rather than talking it out with the “offender,” we stew about what they said or did. We keep silent while harbouring all kinds of negative emotions that breed bitterness and hard heartedness that lead to unforgiveness and the holding of grudges.

Offenses are part of life and they are going to come our way. When they do, it’s fine to recognize that we are hurt, without getting upset about it. We can choose to not be offended, the same way we choose to be offended.

Colossians 3:13 says that we should be “bearing with one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.”

The best way to avoid being offended is getting our focus off “self”

Having hurt feelings and being easily offended is almost always a result of being too preoccupied with “self”. “No one likes me” “No one ever listens to me” “She was rude to me” “They hardly talked to me” “No one thanked me” “No one ever asks for my opinion” “She always interrupts me” “Nobody pays any attention to me” “They always treat me this way”

Me…me..me…O…my…my…my…LOL

In all honesty, if we are easily offended, we are usually over-sensitive about too many things, or we have a chip on our shoulders. And we can be quick to interpret even the most innocent comments or interruptions as an offense.

I have found personally that when I am easily offended, it’s not so much because of what was said or done to me, but because of inner, personal struggles that I really need to deal with.

Practicing the art of seeing the best in others, preferring one another and not thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought will certainly help us to put things in perspective when dealing with the offenses that come in everyday life.

We are all different and unique–with different personalities, different ways of thinking about things and perceiving things, different ways of looking at issues and dealing with things.

Not everyone is like us. And when we put unrealistic expectations on them, it’s wrong. We are not perfect and we can’t expect others to be perfect either.

Our accountability before God personally is to walk and talk in love.We are only responsible for ourselves, thank God! When it comes to others let’s give grace and space as we allow the Holy Spirit to deal with them…and with us!!

“Great peace have they which love Thy law; and nothing shall offend them.” (Psalm 119:165)

(Reverend Mave Moyer and her husband Brother Russ Moyer are the apostolic leaders of Eagle Worldwide Ministries. Pastor Mave is an anointed teacher and preacher who moves powerfully in the gift of faith, healing, and the prophetic)