For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace… -Isaiah 55:12 KJV
When God instructs you to leave a church or ministry, you will go out with peace, no matter what the condition of the ministry. Therefore, your departure will not be based on the actions or behavior of others but rather on the Spirit’s leading.
To leave with an offended or critical spirit is not the plan of God. It is reacting rather than acting on His guidance. Scripture tells us:
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. -Romans 8:14 NKJV
It’s common for people to excuse disobedience because of offense. There is a false sense of self-protection in harboring the feeling that you’ve been wronged. It keeps you from seeing your own character flaws because the blame is deferred to another. But look at what Jesus says:
“If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” -John 20:23 NKJV
We preserve the sins of others when we pick up offense and harbor resentment. If we leave a church or a relationship resentful and embittered, we will enter the next church or relationship with that same attitude. We will find ourselves dealing not only with the hurts that take place in the new dynamic but also with those from the former relationship.
Jesus desires to heal our wounds, but often we do not let Him heal them because it is not the easiest road to take. It is the path of humility and self-denial that leads to healing and spiritual maturity. We walk this path when we make the decision to esteem another’s wellbeing as more important than our own, even when that person has brought us great sorrow.
Will you allow the Holy Spirit to take you on this journey of healing and restoration? I pray that as you lean into God’s Word, He will reveal to you the deadly traps of offense in your life. Will you respond and exchange your offense for His freedom?
