“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” -Ephesians 4:32 (ESV)
The snare of offense is one of the enemy’s most destructive traps; it blocks us from receiving God’s blessing. Offense is dangerous, and if it’s not dealt with, it will lead to unforgiveness and bitterness. Harboring unforgiveness in the heart will give the devil the upper hand and the legal right to torture us. Matthew 18:21-35 illustrates this well. This passage is about a servant who owed the king a huge debt he couldn’t pay back, so he begged the king for mercy. The king was filled with compassion for him and forgave him, canceling his debt. However, this servant refused to forgive his fellow servant, who owed him little. When the king discovered it, he got angry and handed him to the torturers until he could repay all he owed. Spiritually speaking, the torturers are tormenting demons. This passage teaches us that if you’ve been forgiven by God yet refuse to forgive others, your spiritual life will become unprotected, and your covering will be exposed. You’ll become an easy target for the demonic realm, which could open you up to all kinds of health issues. It can even attract evil spirits which come to oppress, suppress, and make you depressed.
If you continue carrying unforgiveness, it will eventually turn into bitterness. It is like a toxic poison that will slowly destroy you. Bitterness is a lethal weapon filled with extreme wickedness that inflicts serious harm on you and others (Hebrews 12:15). The only way to flush out this bitterness is to forgive others and let God fight for you. Don’t try to get even by yourself, but leave it to God’s righteous justice, “For it is written, Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord” (Romans 12:19).
Friend, I am not saying it’s easy to let go of the offense and forgive the one who hurt you, betrayed you, or even turned your life into a nightmare. Still, if God commanded us to do it, I believe forgiveness has many more benefits than you can imagine. Holding onto unforgiveness only keeps you in captivity. Release your offender, and you, too, can be released. If you want to stay free from offense and be sustained in the process of forgiveness, let love and compassion be your guide, just as Jesus did (Ephesians 5:1). True love doesn’t keep score of the sins of others (1 Corinthians 13:4-5). Eventually, compassion will make you want the best for your offender. It will defeat unforgiveness and bitterness. Remember, whatever you feed will grow, but whatever you refuse to feed will eventually die.
Ahn Powers