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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