“A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.”
Prov. 19:11
I had an interesting moment when I happened to come across a friend’s note to me where she said.
“…resting in God, you will be able to get hurt and still care more about the other person than your own 
pain.” I read that while fuming about an offense I was holding onto. It took me right back to one of the messages of Moses and turned my heart.
From Moses’ life we learn that
- after failure in trying to help others on his own
- after running for his life
- after surrendering to God when he felt entirely inadequate for what God was asking
- after leaving his comfortable, peaceful life on the side of the mountain
Moses was accused, offended, fed up, wounded by God’s people and felt his stinging weakness.
That’s when God brought others around him and Moses persevered in the dry, barren wilderness where all depended on God. (Numbers 11) But not without some soul searching.
I found an offense lingering in my soul taking up space, keeping me from rest and freedom to relate with joy and care toward others. I don’t want to live like that! I remembered (as Michael Hyatt says):
Offenses are inevitable, often unintentional, they can be good for us (to look at ourselves) and holding onto them is a choice.
I chose, after some wrestling, to let it go into God’s hands and see what I can learn from it. I’m already seeing how self-focused the reaction was and feeling the freedom of a whole new perspective. Will you stop long enough to consider:
Is there anything lingering in your soul taking up space?
Some questions to help with that: What am I anxious about? What makes me feel discontent? What could be some reasons for lack of joy and freedom in me?
I’d love to hear your thoughts.