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Pretty much my favorite church - Grapple Chapel started by Adam Watts and Dr. Ryan Bareng. They choke each other out then they pray for each other

HOW TO OVERLOOK AN OFFENSE - PROVERBS 19:11

Dr. Ryan, I want to talk to you today about how to overlook an offense. We live in an era now where everybody's pretty much permanently offended about everything. We seem to be appalled that it might even be possible that someone might have a different idea than us or a different interpretation than us, a different definition than us. And so instead of appreciating the philosophical differences, the theological differences, the personal differences, we now demonize people who think differently than we do. So all of this has created sort of what I call like a permanently offended culture. So I want to talk to you today about how to overcome an offense. It's a great proverb.

Proverbs 19 and 11 says, a person's wisdom yields patience. It is the one's glory to overlook an offense. Now one of the interpretations of this word wisdom here is the word policy. Now I spent five years of my life doing a doctorate in public health with an emphasis in water, policy. Policy is a specific approach to a circumstance in the situation. So what Proverbs is trying to teach us here is that we should have a policy when dealing with offense that's predicated upon patience.

So the first thing we're supposed to do is develop a policy of patience when we're dealing with information we don't like, people we don't like, approaches we don't like, ideologies we don't like. Instead of reacting, we should have a policy of patience. That's one. Now it says it is the one's glory. Now first of all, this says a lot. This is saying a lot. The Bible would say it is to your glory. This phrase is not used often in the Bible. It's to your glory. This is saying a lot.

What is it saying? It shows toughness when you overlook an offense.

Two, it's the primary sign that you're mature. The primary sign of being mature is having the toughness to overlook differences. Billy Graham said, when you wrestle with a pig, both of you get dirty, but only one of you likes it. So our policy of patience helps us overlook an offense.

And then what does this word offense mean? Well, it means transgression and it means sin. Now you may be thinking, well, Ryan, you just catch a bunch of waves and you have a lot of fun with your life. Well that is true. I do catch a lot of waves and I do have a lot of fun with my life. I'm also surrounded by just as many idiots as you are. I'm not offended by it. And I choose to not react to it. I don't gossip. I don't slander. I don't teach gossip and slander. I teach kindness. I teach forgiveness. I teach grace. I teach compassion. I teach mercy.

And so it is to our glory if we develop a policy of patience, it shows toughness. It's a sign of maturity when we overlook when people sin towards us. We don't hold resentments. We don't hold grudges. We have a policy of peace and forgiveness and grace. And the wise person will overlook and not react when they are sinned against and treated poorly. Toughen up.

This scripture will help us do it. Again, a person's wisdom yields patience. It is the one's glory to overlook an offense. A golden proverb. Thank you so much for joining me. Until next time, I hope you have a beautiful day.

45 DAYS OF WISDOM - DAY 45 "HOW TO OVERLOOK AN OFFENSE" PROVERBS 19:11