The issue of offense is an important topic in the Body of Christ. Stewarding our hearts in the place of prayer is paramount to having healthy relationships with our brothers and sisters in Christ, how do we walk it out? In this video, Jono Hall, Stuart Greaves, and Brain Kim discuss how they handle the issues of conflict and offense.

Self-examination

We can ask the Lord to identify any area of offense in our hearts. The Bible recounts many incidents of people being offended with the Lord, and the power of Jesus to win them over. Stuart says that when offense rises, he is often confronted with his small capacity to love, so the Lord’s capacity to love is Stuart’s focus. His prayer; Give me an increased capacity to love, in order to win over a brother who I am offended by or who is offended with me.

Confrontation

If the issue is not solved in the place of prayer, it is time to take the steps given in Matthew 18. Go to that brother or sister and talk about what is going on. Many people cringe at the word confrontation, but Stuart poignantly points out that confrontation is not so much about correcting someone; rather it is about the pursuit of clarity. When you approach a person seeking clarity, you enter the conversation with questions. You look to resolve the issue at hand and if you have done some self-examination, the conversation could actually confirm what the Lord has been showing you in the place of prayer.

What do you do if you have that clarity and still find yourself in a disagreement with someone? Watch the video to discover what Brian and Stuart have to say about handling the situation of continued offense.