How many of us know when to address offense or instead, to pass over it? And if it is one to be addressed, is our spirit right, and do we choose the appropriate time? Ah offenses: They do come, don’t they?

Yesterday my son sent me a text while he was on his riding mower in the backyard: “There’s a little rabbit out here,” it said. Evidently, his lawn mowing had disturbed the little creature’s abode, and sure enough, there sat a very traumatized bunny huddled up against the wall, underneath my outdoor table. It was God talking to me. Say what? Oh yes, He talks through outward signs and this bunny had an important message for me.

Rabbits according to the Dream Bible Dictionary represent “feelings of timidness or being easily intimidated. A mindset that is easily made nervous or shys away. Easily scared about maintaining emotional stability. It may also reflect avoiding situations due to shyness. Intuitively avoiding danger. Innocence that doesn’t want to take a single risk ever.” I was very concerned about the little one and didn’t know what to do to help it. My son assured me that it would be alright in the morning and told me to just let it be. So trusting in prayer and in my son’s words, I did just that. The next day, the rabbit was nowhere in sight, just like he said. Oh the words: “Let it BE!” are so powerful!

Do you know anyone that has the same traits that were described about the rabbit? An hour or so before this incident, I had just gotten off the phone with a young woman who is very much like that. I had been praying about our relationship before the text came, and during my prayer time I had a vision of her with lots and lots of wounds all over her body that had pus oozing out of them. That pus ended up upon many people’s heads. Having experienced some of it on mine during the conversation I had with her, I believe the Lord sent that little bunny to give me understanding and to soften my heart.

Brethren, the body of Christ is so wounded…. We all have them, some more than others, but all of us are in need of healing. Oh that greater understanding will come for our relationships and wisdom given to lovingly address the offenses that we experience. Being offended is too costly, as it keeps us from loving one another and entering into joy, peace and righteousness. I wrote about a vision a friend had about offenses in another post that I feel to share again because its wisdom is worth repeating: In it, a large fishing net was cast into the sea, and when it was drawn up, many fish, big and small, were in it. The little ones were cast back into the sea and the big ones were kept, meaning that we’re to dismiss the small offenses, but deal with the big ones. If they’re not addressed in love, they will fester and cause even bigger problems later on. Oh brethren, we must all be ready with an open heart and mind to hear our brothers and sisters when they come to us about something we’ve done, and vice versa. Let’s talk things through and most importantly, pray about them. Our Lord’s most fervent desire is that we be ONE and if we listen to Abraham Lincoln, we will be. He said: “We should be too big to take offense and too noble to give it.”

Oh yes! Abe’s words can make us able!