Offenses Build Fences
"Offenses build fences." That was a great quote I heard last week that brought a situation to my mind that I recently observed. A young wife was constantly being offended by her husband's comments even when most were as innocent as could be. I remember going through that when Tim and I were first married. I had been dumped most fiercely just a few months before we started dating and was already dealing with self image issues. Both of those issues put together made it hard for me to truly trust Tim. I think I was always on my guard, just waiting for him to hurt me. With my sword always on the ready, we battled many foolish arguments. It took God many, many years to work those low self esteem-trust issues out of me. I'm so thankful for the many good years that have replaced the more difficult ones. But it took a lot of hard work to learn to stop and think before just reacting, though I'd be lieing if I didn't admit to still dealing with it occasionally, but "He's still working on me, to make me what I ought to be..." So be careful if you find yourself easily offended by your spouse. Prayerfully ask the Lord to help you see the good intent instead of the offense.
