Would you be offended if you were Joseph?

Think about the story of Joseph for a moment, and all of the chances that he had to be offended at the bad things that happened to him:

• His brothers hated him not only because of Jacob's love for him, but also because of his dreams.
• His brothers plotted to kill him, but ended up putting him in a well for a while and then selling him as a slave to Egypt.
• He was accused of doing wrong against Potiphar's wife.
• He was thrown in prison.

And the list goes on. Just think -- if Joseph got offended at all of these nasty actions, he might have ruined God's plan to save his family and to help people survive the famine of Canaan.

I think about all of the times that I get offended, and I'm glad that God's plan is happening in spite of me.

God communicates to us through each other

It's fascinating how God can speak to us through each other. In "Fight Like a Man", Gordon Dalbey tells about an experience that John Wimber of The Vineyard had:

Early in his ministry, a woman came to him at a particularly busy moment and said matter-of-factly, 'I have a word for you from the Lord.'

With strained courtesy, he noted that he was in a hurry and urged her to proceed quickly -- whereupon the woman burst forth crying. For several minutes she spoke not a word as tears flowed down her cheeks.

Puzzled, Wimber waited respectfully, until his patience reached its limit. 'Could you please just give me the word, so I can get on with my schedule?' he asked.

The woman sobbed deeply and then, gathering her breath, said simply, 'That's it.'

The tears were God's message to Wimber, as if God was saying to Wimber, I love you so much it hurts me to see you wasting all the talent and energy I've given you chasing after the wind.

Amazing. Be on the lookout for moments like these; God works through us in spectacular ways.

We will be shaken

In the story of Simon Peter, he was shaken and humbled so much that his natural confidence turned to dependence on God. When we are shaken, what isn't of Jesus falls away, and that's why Jesus lets trials happen. John Bevere explains this on p. 89 of "The Bait of Satan":

Trials in this life will expose what is in your heart -- whether the offense is toward God or others. Tests either make you bitter toward God and your peers or stronger. If you pass the test, your roots will shoot down deeper, stabilizing you and your future. If you fail, you become offended, which can lead to defilement with bitterness.

I'm curious about how to discern which trials are just spiritual attacks by Satan and his evil spirits versus trials that are put in our lives to strengthen our faith in Jesus. Or are they one in the same?

You will offend others if you follow God

One passage that really resonates with me in "The Bait of Satan" deals with offending others because one is following God. In my family of origin, Christians or religious people often were put down. Consequently, as an adult I have not been as vocal about my faith as I would like to be.

Bevere makes the point that the religious leaders of Jesus' time were the ones who most vehemently opposed Jesus. And Bevere applies that to today:

Some will not understand you as you move with the Spirit. Don't allow their unpleasant response to deter you from what you know in your heart is true. Don't abort the flow of the Spirit for the desires of men.

If we are to persevere in our faith, others will be offended. Even if we were not followers of Jesus, I'm sure others would be offended with us. So we must soldier on, keeping the "eyes on the prize."

The problem of pride

I'm currently reading a book by John Bevere called "The Bait of Satan". The focus of this book is how Satan cunningly uses pride and offense to separate us from other people.

Bevere explains on page 8 how pride causes us to deny the true pain that we feel when someone offends us:

Pride keeps you from dealing with truth. It distorts your vision. You never change when you think everything is fine. Pride hardens your heart and dims the eyes of your understanding. It keeps you from the change of heart -- repentance -- that will set you free. Pride causes you to view yourself as a victim.

I personally have gone through life being on the lookout for people to offend me, and then I have severed ties (or my heart) with people. How easily I have fallen into Satan's trap! As we know from Matthew 18:21-22, we are to forgive others an infinite number of times.

Respect and protect women

Ever since Eve, women have had a difficult time in this world. They have been targeted by Satan because of their beauty. And too often men have been willing accomplices to Satan, happy to exert some sort of superiority over women.

Here are some things to think about, men:

• While the first woman, Eve, came from a man, every man since that time has come from a woman.
• God's image is reflected in the unity of both male and female.
• For you men that have sons, they are not clones of you. There are genetic characteristics from both your son's mother and you in your son.

God intended us to bond with women in an honoring way. And it's up to us to respect -- and protect -- them. (Gordon Dalbey's "Fight Like a Man" has two excellent chapters -- "The Woman as Ally" and "'Male Headship' and Battling for the Woman" that cover these topics.)

Surviving a pit bull attack

I recently completed a book by Gordon Dalbey called "Fight Like a Man". Dalbey was the inspiration for author John Eldredge. "Fight Like a Man" examines the wounds in men and how to heal ourselves by surrendering to Jesus.

In one passage of "Fight Like a Man", Dalbey recounts how he was jogging in his neighborhood late at night when he was attacked by a pit pull. Read on to hear how Dalbey survived even though no one was around and the pit pull already had taken a bite into his forearm:

All thoughts fled from my grasp as the dog quivered and crouched lower for its spring.

'Stop!' I heard myself pleading desperately -- and then, with determination, 'In the name of Jesus, stop!'

The instant the word Jesus sprang from my lips, a veil seemed to part, and by a new and holy instinct I knew at once what to do.

Utterly terrified, absolutely powerless, I surrendered.

'Jesus,' I whispered, looking away. As the dog let out a sharp yowl and lifted its forelegs to leap, I dropped my arms helplessly to my side.

In that unforgettable split second, more intense in both horror and peace that I have ever before known, all fear and tension swept out of me. Quietly, I stood there -- whether seconds or minutes I can't say.

I only know that when I looked down again, the dog had not leapt after all, but was still coiled and growling in front of me.

'Jesus,' I said again, this time calmly, and looked directly into the dog's burning eyes: 'Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.'

Hesitating yet, it growled once more, looked around, and then stood there just looking at me. Clearly, it was over. With a snort, the dog turned awkwardly and trotted off into the night.

Just think if Dalbey had tried to fight that pit bull on his own -- he would have been toast! So often we think that we can do it on our own. His experience should be a reminder to just surrender to Jesus.