No Offense!

No Offense!

Submitted by Merry Bruton on Mon, 03/14/2011 - 3:34pm

"No offense, but you're a jerk, and our relationship is finished!" Have you ever knowingly or unknowingly messed up and then found yourself on the receiving end of similar words or sentiments? Or perhaps you've felt deeply hurt by someone's actions and you responded in such a manner. Thinking back, whether we were the 'offender' or the 'offendee', it is difficult to imagine how a situation got so explosive so quickly---how things could go so wrong so fast?

Each of us is unique and complicated, and nurturing our relationships, well, it requires work! Especially when conflict occurs.

But there is another unseen factor that most of us don't take into consideration when emotions run high--the Spirit of Offense. I believe there are positive forces as well as negative spiritual forces at work in the world, and they influence people, to the degree that we allow. And Mr. Offense is always strategizing against us, planting negative thoughts, causing suspicion and one-sided blindness, reminding us of 'our rights' and what we 'deserve' and didn't get. Offense strikes as a hidden giant, an active force both at causing us to offend--as well as to get offended.

Many folks are receiving dreams from God right now, highlighting and confirming the presence and influence of Offense--so that we can aggressively guard against cooperating in any way with this nasty spirit whose aim is to stir up division and destruction.

The Offending spirit's influence causes folks to:

* Assume the worst about people's actions and intent

* Slice, dice (with attacking words) and run

* Immediately feel better having vented, not considering the wounds and blood trails left behind

* Be driven by a combo of hot temper, stewing, all or nothing thinking, resentment, jealousy, score-keeping, 'road rage style' of reacting

* Attack in a cruel, cutting way, at an inopportune moment for the 'target'

* Live in Victim mentality--react from 'hot button' issues, unhealed wounds, past rejection, etc.

* Badmouth without discretion

* Not be able to see the 'other side' of the issue

"What have I done to deserve this?" We may ask ourselves this question, but often not in the right way. We should be asking, "What is in me that may be attracting the spirit of offense? Have I offended someone and not apologized and asked for forgiveness? Have I inflicted a wound that I need to properly address? Have I opened a door for the spirit of Offense to interpret as a welcome 'invitation' to wreak havoc in my life?

We do not have to obey old habit patterns that cause irritations in our relationships. We ask ourselves, "What are my hot buttons that may cause me to easily get offended at people?" If we possess a nasty offense pattern in our life, we can trace the bad fruit back to the rotting roots and terminate those deadly suckers. If we carefully rid ourselves of offense, we can block much trouble off at the pass.

Remedies for successfully combating Offense:

* Recognize and resist any supernatural presence that fiercely empowers hurt emotions

* Quickly apologize for offending, and quickly forgive all offenses toward us

* Choose love. Love first thinks the best of people

* Take authority! Refuse every negative thought spirit, and word (no self-muttering)

* Reverse the process--choose the high road. Bless and do not curse (even secretly), choose not to respond in ugly fashion no matter what was done or how we feel.

* Take responsibility for our every word or action

Sometimes we are on the verge of a breakthrough and are making a difference in a situation, and we just get blindsided by someone who is succumbing to Offense, so that we get distracted from success--a not-so-subtle spiritual enemy sabotage. In such cases, we are wise to recognize the root cause and respond with understanding compassion, knowing who the real 'enemy' is.

Life is tricky enough without recognizing and allowing Offense and reactionary Defense to run the show. The upside:  every Offense is an opportunity for growth!

Unleashing the Leashed

Unleashing the Leashed

In the past two months I have begun to notice something new as I go about my daily activities. I'm not a 'psychic' but I 'see' stuff. It is normal for me to sense emotions or struggles from within a person near me, or to 'know' something about someone I'm getting ready to meet. The big question is, 'What do I do with what I see?"

Themes often develop as I enter new learning seasons.

Lately I have been seeing and thinking about--leashes.

It started when I was visiting Las Vegas a few weeks ago. I saw an older man walking through an extremely crowded room with a scantily-clad, stiletto-heeled woman. He was 'leading' her around using a bling-studded leash--fastened to a spiked collar around her neck.

The sight stopped me dead in my tracks. Lots of questions flooded my mind. I felt sorry for anyone choosing to walk around in public like that. And I watched that poor lady get jerked around. I asked Spirit to show me what was going on, and the answer was, "Pray for them, pay attention, keep watching."

Then, as I was walking through a casino early the next morning, I saw another man wearing a stretchy lanyard around his neck, attached to a credit card--that was inserted into a slot machine. His red, bleary eyes and the look on his face told me he had been gambling all night and was way down on his 'luck', with a cigarette in one hand and a beer in the other.  He was tethered to that slot machine via 'leash'.

The more I observed, the more I began to 'see' people and their chains, or the things they choose to 'leash' themselves to. Leashes are tools intended for restraint and control, mainly for animals. (For toddlers, too, though that subject is controversial). And many of the unhealthy 'people leashes' probably start out harmless or entertaining for awhile, but become addictions that take control and do the leading. Who becomes the 'master' in charge?

Interestingly enough, after my trip to Las Vegas, I took my two little dogs out to our local trail for their usual walk and training time. They were on my heels when a young lady passed by with her dog on one of those long retractable leashes. She circled around me, screamed at me to 'get control' of my dogs, to get them out of her way, and she threatened me--this has happened several times. I have felt blindsided and whiplashed by her rage--over a leash? (or maybe not)! Are these coincidental timings of  'leash' situations? Nah! 

I'm discovering that more and more people are leashed to terrors, ruts, and angers that deeply restrict their quality of life. They are bonded to things that may seem invisible to the average eye. And they do not know how to get free.

What is the purpose for receiving these pieces of revelation?

With knowledge comes responsibility--are we willing to look beyond people's scary or puzzling actions--to offer a smile in response, an encouraging word, a listening ear, or a helping hand toward freedom? We are to ask--what is behind that behavior? Not to judge, but to have compassion, to be willing to help.  

Perhaps with love, we can Usher in an Ultimate Unleashing.

Release!