Let it Go

  • LET IT GO
    Native hunters in the jungles of Africa have a way of trapping monkeys.
    They slice a coconut in two; hollow it out, and in one half of the shell cut a
    hole just big enough for a monkey’s hand to pass through. Then they place
    an orange or banana in the other coconut half before fastening together the
    two halves of the coconut shell. Sooner or later, an unsuspecting monkey
    swings by, smells the fruit, and discovers its location inside the coconut.
    The monkey then slips his hand through the small hole; grasps the fruit,
    and tries to pull it through the hole. Of course, it’s too big for the hole. To no
    avail the monkey continues to pull and pull.
    As long as the monkey keeps his fist wrapped around the fruit, the monkey
    is trapped. It’s too bad the poor monkey could save its own life if it would
    let go of the fruit. But they don’t.
    We can face the same dilemma. We won’t let go. Even if holding on to
    something may cause us injury or psychological distress even to the point
    of losing our well-being. But many times, we won’t let go.
    Letting go is particularly difficult when we feel we have been offended.
    Someone has committed an offense against us. The word offense means a
    violation or breach of a law, custom, rule, etc. / a lack of politeness; a
    failure to show regard for others; wounding the feelings of others.
    This is something that has a great potential of robbing us from the life that
    we are promised. The offense. Matthew 18:7Woe to the world because
    of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom
    the offense comes!
    In this scripture, Jesus is warning about the offense. He is saying that
    offense not only will come but that offense must come. So, it’s how you
    respond to the offense.
    There are people who respond to an offense by entering this state of woe.
    Sadness, depression, gloom, heartache. The “woe” could be caused
    because of an offense. Now offense is something that we are all
    susceptible to. I have had my moments where I’ve been offended by
    something or someone. And there’s a good chance that I’ve caused
    someone to be offended. But what I know about offense is this: The
    damage of offense doesn’t necessarily fall on the one who caused the
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    offense but instead it falls on the one who suffered the offense. This is
    where the damage comes into play. On the harboring or keeping the
    offense in your heart. Hanging on to it. Not letting it go.
    Offense is tricky. You can function in your life and no one may never know
    that you are carrying an offense in your heart. But while everything looks
    good on the outside, the offense is poisoning your spirit. It’s toxic. But we
    keep a tight grip and won’t let go. Anger, depression, and hostility can bring
    on a multitude of ailments including heart disease which can shorten out
    lives dramatically.
    We think about the offense a lot. It keeps us up at night. Sleep aids don’t
    get rid of the offense. It takes a hold of us. It grows from a root deep within
    us. We can plant that offense within our children and it can pass down from
    one generation to the next. It alters how we think and reason.
    I knew a man living in Enfield who worked side by side with his Father most
    of his life. One day the father and son had a falling out. The son was
    offended. They didn’t speak again. Years passed. When the father’s health
    declined and he reached his last days, he sent word to his son asking to
    see him one last time. The son refused to grant him that request. I
    appealed to him. This was a decision he was going to have to live with. He
    chose not to see his father again. Very sad. How many people live with the
    regret every day that someone has passed on and an offense was never
    worked out?
    Proverbs 18:19“A brother offended is harder to win than a strong
    city.”
    Offense is Satan’s most effective tactic to keep you from what God has
    promised you. John Bevere wrote a book called The Bait of Satan. He
    describes how offense is the bait that Satan uses to trap us. Offense is the
    one trap, that when it traps us, it has the potential of trapping us for a long
    time. It is impossible that no offenses should come. Luke 17:1
    Offense is the hidden trap and the irresistible bait that Satan uses to pull us
    into captivity. We feel hurt, hatred, anger, bitterness, resentment, jealousy,
    and envy. These are not fruits of the Spirit of God. These are the baits of
    Satan.
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    We can choose to let go of the offense. But, how do we do that? What do
    we need to do to be free of its hold on us?
    First, we need to stop arguing our case as to how and why we were
    offended. We stop giving it a hold on us. Stop giving it authority over you.
    Let go of it. By justifying the offense, you give it life. Stop re-living it! Stop
    going over it, over and over. The offense will never ever go away if you
    discuss it all the time.
    Remember the words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 6:15
    But if you do not forgive people their offenses, your Father will not
    forgive your sins?” We have to let it go. God is here to set us free from
    the offenses that has ruled our hearts. Talk to God about it and then let go.
    Leave it with Him. Pray that God will remove any thing from your heart that
    is not of Him.
    In 1956, five American missionaries to Ecuador were brutally speared to
    death by a savage Stone Age tribe of Indians. Two years later, the wife and
    sister of two of the murdered missionaries walked into the jungle to live with
    the same people who had murdered the men they loved.
    In 1956, Steve was five years old when his father, Nate, flew a Piper
    Cruiser plane with four other missionaries into the jungles of Equador and
    dared to make contact with the most dangerous tribe known to man, the
    Waodani (whoa-DONNY) also known as “Auca,” or naked savage.
    After several months of exchanging gifts with the natives, the five men were
    speared multiple times and hacked to death with machetes. One of the
    men in the tribe that fateful day was Mincaye (min-KY-yee). Years later
    Steve found out that Mincaye actually delivered the final spear that
    ultimately killed his father. Today they consider themselves family and
    harbor no resentment. Steve says he has never forgotten the pain and
    heartache of losing his dad.
    Many are confounded by the relationship Steve has with Mincaye. Steve
    says that their relationship doesn’t make sense unless you put God in the
    equation.
    2 Corinthians 3:17 tells us that, “The Lord is the Spirit, and where the
    Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom”

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