Devotion: Avoid offence

Proverbs 18 :19.” A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city: and their contentions are like the bars of a castle.”

As stated in the scripture above, it is hard to win someone who is offended. Its difficult to make them do something good after they are offended.

Its difficult to preach the Word after they have been offended by your action. It is therefore important to know what offends your friend and avoid it. It may be in a spouse, senior or junior worker, a colleague, a brother or sister or anybody.

There are some things we do which are not a sin per se but may offend a brother or sister who is close by. In this case we need to avoid doing that activity for the sake of the brother or sister.

Different people are at different levels of Christianity. Sometimes culture and education background may have some influence over someone to believe that certain things are wrong when Biblically they are not. For example some Christians believe in not eating certain meat or anything meaty whereas others eat every meat.

For the sake of not offending one another, eat your meat away from the one who doesn’t.Rom 14:2-3″ One person believes in eating everything, but the weak person eats only vegetables.”

The one who eats every meat should refrain from offending a brother who doesn’t. Otherwise you may find it hard to win back a brother. Romans 14:21.” It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby your brother stumbles, or is offended, or is made weak.”

Some cultures believe that you can’t put on a jean trousers if you are a true brother in the Lord. If you are going to minister there, avoid the jean. It may not be a sin but may be offensive to others. You may preach for days and not win a single soul because you put on a jean pair of trousers which becomes a stumbling block to others.

So then, let us pursue what makes for peace and for building up one another(Rom 14:19).

Prayer 
Father, thank you for your Word that builds me up always.For the sake of my brothers and sisters, I will avoid every action that offends them. Am directed by your Spirit to know and avoid what offends others. In Jesus Name. Amen.