Unoffendable (part 1)

4/19/2002

...Of course you cannot give in to the “esteem me, esteem me” evil sin. You would only be harming her and feeding the addiction. That DOESN’T mean you couldn’t be more understanding and TALK about her incessant and unGodly demands, and let her know that she’s doing that (and maybe didn’t realize it), and that it isn’t NECESSARY to be that way! You can RUN from it (and cut her off), or you can GIVE IN to the sin (and feed the evil addictions—to her destruction and yours), or you can face it head-on with poise and grace and wisdom, and talk about it WITH her from a “third party” vantage point and try to help her work through it. As in, “How about if every time you do the ‘Esteem me, esteem me’ thing, I stick my finger in my nostril as a high-sign that you are ‘doing it again’? I’d kick you in the shins, but that wouldn’t be as much fun! Want to try that, as a mnemonic not to do that silly stuff anymore? ;)” Deal with it head-on rather than running away, or being so “spiritual” as to help someone go to eternal hell, or ruin their lives and relationship with God by pretending it’s God’s Way to overlook or ignore things as the heathen are prone to do.

We’re here to DO THE WORK and WRESTLE TO PRESENT EVERYONE PERFECT IN CHRIST, and that certainly IS as dramatic as “the pains of childbirth.” We will SURELY be, as Paul said, “the aroma of life, or the stench of death”—IF “we have stood in God’s Counsel” and “turned God’s People from their sins.”

Should WE be “unoffendable” in that WE don’t have “our poor lil’ ole feelings hurt” when things don’t go our way? Of course! It is for JESUS’ sake that we press through, NOT because WE are offended....

Love,