The Greek word for offense is “skandalon,” defined as a trap stick, a snare. Our adversary places offenses as traps in front of us. Instead of reacting to an offense, we should move away from it as quickly as possible before we get trapped. Offenses, like unforgiveness, hurt us more than they hurt the other person.
We acknowledge the potential offense and refuse to take the bait by walking in love and truth. It doesn’t mean we ignore what they say or do, but we address it, so the stumbling block is removed. We seek communication by asking questions for clarification to the person when possible and seek the Lord for His help in moving past the trap.
The most difficult offense to perceive is the one we have already taken. In that case, the enemy may bring denial, so it’s not handled. We also must watch for becoming offended when someone is offended with us or coming into agreement with another person’s offense. Our path contains stumbling blocks, but they can only stop us if we don’t handle them with the authority and power we have in Christ, from glory to glory!
1 John 2:10 “He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him.”
