Offense: Take It? Then Go On It…

Offense is one of those words that means two completely different things.

Offense – (I pronounce it UH-fense) – To “take” offense means to feel insulted, upset, or resentful about what someone said or did.

Versus

Offense – (I pronounce AW-fense) – To “go on the” offense means to go on the attack.

Take It Or Leave It

When someone says or does something against me or what I believe, I have two choices:

One:

Don’t take the offense (uh-fense). Ignore it, keep my peace, and be free. And it’s over.

Two:

Take offense (uh-fense). Take in the pain, get upset, and be taken captive by negative emotions. Definitely NOT over.

Go On It

When I take offense (uh-fense), I have two choices:

One:

I can go on the offense (aw-fense) and attack whoever I think offended me.

If I win the battle and get revenge, I may feel vindicated.

And yet, I still hang on to the offense (uh-fense).

I play it over and over.

And even tell people how I got offended and how I got revenge.

But I LOSE because I dwell on the pain of the offense (uh-fense), and I take up the duty of continuing to offend myself over and over with the original offense (uh-fense).

I am not free of the pain they caused.

They win.

They have power over me. And I bought into it and continue to harm myself long after they finished perpetrating that particular offense (uh-fense).

Two:

I can go on the offense (aw-fense) and work to get rid of the offense (uh-fense).

I can win the battle and let go of the pain they caused, regardless of what happens to the person who offended me if I:

Write down all the details of the resentment:

— Who offended me?

— What did they do?

— Why did it offend me?

And then the hard part:

— Is there some aspect of my personality that caused me to feel insulted?

— Did I do anything to cause them to act like they did?

And then the hardest part:

— Acknowledge my part.

— Determine if I need to make an amends to them. If necessary, make the amends to them.

— Ask God to give them all the good things in life that I want, and ask God to change me, and remove the resentment and pain I feel toward the offender.

But I WILL WIN because I am free of the pain.

The offending person does not take up any space in my mind or emotions.

I don’t think about the offense (uh-fense). And I don’t harm myself by playing it over and over.

They don’t win.

They don’t have power over me. I may have bought into the pain for a time, but I don’t continue the harm.

Offense: Don’t take it? Or take it and then go on it – to captivity or freedom.

It’s always my choice to take the action to be free with God’s help.

What helps you get free of offense?

Offense: Take It? Then Go On It… What helps you get free of offense? Share on X

Joni Vance is an award-winning author of fiction, essay, and poetry. She loves mystery, history, and how God reveals Himself every day.

May God reveal the mystery of His love in your life story.