There is something that I say all the time and God just keeps testing me to see if I really mean it. I always say that I do not EVER want to be offended at Jesus and what he may or may not do in my life or on this earth. And I am asking myself more and more lately, “Who the heck do I think I am?” How did I become so arrogant to think that I was finished learning or growing or being challenged?
But one of the positive things about practicing being unoffendable with people is that it helps you learn how to not be offended at God. It sounds ridiculous to think that someone could be offended at God because he is perfect, but when he starts digging deep and wanting to get rid of all that stuff in you that doesn’t look like him, he can be quite offensive.
I love listening to sermons by Kris Vallotton, a pastor at Bethel in California because he is not afraid to offend people. And he is especially not afraid to speak God’s word that might hurt those of us who are so comfortable in our faith. He is not afraid to shake up your theology every once and a while. And there was a time not too long ago that I probably would have been easily offended by him. But as I listen to his teachings now, I can see the purpose of taking scripture in context and allowing myself to be challenged by it. Before, if someone said anything that possibly challenged my theology, I would become so defensive and even frustrated. But I thank God that he broke me of that and has been constantly challenging my theology.
There are so many times when I find myself getting defensive or offended that I have to decide if I am upset just because what’s being challenged is something that I have believed to be true my whole life but is not actually justified in scripture. The World Race and this community has done an incredible job at challenging everything that I have known to be true. I know that when I come home there may be some things that I say or do that might offend you. I want to say to you now that my only intention is love and my only desire is for people to know the same freedom that I have found. It may look weird to you or not make any sense in a denominational mindset, but I am praying that you know my heart and passion for more of the Spirit of God to freely move in Arizona and in America.
God is taking me on a journey of knowing what He says about things and believing him at his word rather than what circumstances around me might say. He continually tears apart the box that I put him in and is always revealing more depths of his heart and his love. I fall more in love with his Spirit every day and absolutely cannot live without his spoken rhema word every moment. This lifestyle might seem scary because you cannot have control, but it is the only true way to freedom and to life.
I wouldn’t want it any other way.
