I have had the privilege of working with various local congregations for more than two decades. There is none of those assemblies where there were no issues to tackle. As long as you live in a community there will be issues. Something I have noticed that what eats into the fabrics of most congregations is offence. People get offended too easily. Whole families have pulled out from congregation because they feel aggrieved. To compound the problem they leave without giving the pastor a hint of why they are offended. I know a case of a sister who loaned another sister some money. When repayment was delayed there was problem. Part of the fall-outs was that they both left the church, at different times. Offences happen between one member and another, and between members and the authority of the church. People are unaware of the corporate damage such attitude brings. It is hardly possible for someone to be offended and not speak negatively about the supposed offender. Evil speaking on its own will mitigate against the presence of the Lord in an assembly. The end product is hardly measurable.

The way to deal with offences is to pray; trusting God to prevent the root of bitterness from springing up in your heart.

It is not only the church that suffers from offences. Those who pick offence, particularly when there is no justifiable reason for it, are also hurt. Yesterday we spoke in part of the need to protect the heart from being affected. If you nurse an offence long enough it will take root in your heart. The way to deal with offences is to pray; trusting God to prevent the root of bitterness from springing up in your heart. Well, this subject can actually be an acid test of your level of spiritual development. Since we are no higher than the things that offend us, it simply boils down to the fact that if we are offended often at things we ought to overlook, we have some growing up to do.