He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. - 1 John 2:10
Whenever you find yourself stumbling
into failure or sin, check your love life. Sit down with the Lord and ask Him
to show you if you're in strife with anyone or
if you've taken offense. If you have, the devil can come in and trip
you up.
As a teacher, I’ve seen that happen
countless times. I'll be teaching about something and some
believer will get upset with me about it. He'll decide I’m wrong
and go off in a huff—and first thing you know, he’s in trouble.
Mark 4:17 tells us the devil uses
those kinds of offenses to steal the Word from our hearts.
He causes us to get crosswise with each other. Then he’s able to pull the plug right out of us and drain the Word like water from a bucket.
He causes us to get crosswise with each other. Then he’s able to pull the plug right out of us and drain the Word like water from a bucket.
Don't ever let that happen to
you. If you hear a preacher, teacher or another believer saying something that
rubs you the wrong way and you catch yourself getting offended say, “Oh no you
don’t. You're not stealing the Word out of me, you lying devil.”
Then get right down on your knees and repent before God.
Search the Word and listen to the
Spirit within you and find out what you should do. If you still feel what that
person said to you was wrong, pray for him.
Remember, taking offense never comes
from God. He says we’re to be rooted and grounded in love. So reject those
feelings of offense. Give yourself to that person in love and in
prayer. You'll be able to walk right on through that
situation without ever stumbling at all.
