MASTER OF OFFENSE – July 25
July 25, 2014“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all thing, endures all things. Love never ends…” 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
“I don’t know who you are. I don’t know what you want. If you have emotional expectations, I can tell you I have limited means to fulfill them. But what I do have are a very particular set of skills, skills I have acquired over a life time. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you walk away, that’ll be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you. But if you don’t, I will be your friend, I will be your confidant, and I will offend you.”
I have a particular set of skills; skills meriting a warning as ominous as that given in the movie Taken.
All who share my particular skill set understand the latent hazard that we represent. We are a very dangerous subset of the population, easily blending into the masses.
However, our skills are often exposed despite our best attempts to befriend. The practitioners of the art of offense tend to be naturally gifted. We rarely have to think about our art.
We have an ingenious ability to select the most inappropriate combination of words.
Our simple mis-timed questions can re-infuse the socially diffused.
We can build the harshest of corners by a mere sequence of honest observations.
We can block social cues in a focused demonstration of our skills.
And that is without even trying.
The reality is that all humans are skilled in the art of offense but there are a special few who are masters. The masters of offense have a unique ability to separate thought and love. Love should pilot thought. However, the truly offensive allow their thoughts to range far from the constraints of love.
Thought can be freed to search the bounds of circumspect.
It can peer past emotions and formalities for dispassionate assessment.
Thought can fly free beyond reality into blissful imagination.
It can dive deep into the depths of hidden meanings and intents.
Yet, thought unguided by love is destined to the shackle of disdain; the prison of all offensive masters.
Love is what frees thought to become all that it was intended.
Love allows thought to persuade.
Love soothes accurate assessment.
Love returns fragrance after thought’s searing.
Love hinders speculation.
Love binds lips opened by thought.
Despite my skills, I don’t want to be a hazard to others. I don’t want unfettered thoughts, freed to practice the skillful art of offense. I have tasted too often the bitter loss wrought by those skills. Since I can be naturally offensive, my focus must be on yielding to the mastery of love. My thoughts must cling to the course set by love. Love will faithfully guide thought to kind and patient response. Love pulls thought from envy or boasting and away from arrogance. Love enables thought to accept someone elses way and soothes thought’s resent and irritation.Thought produces wonder actions. Thought gives life to all of our gifts but it is love that produces the fruits of the Spirit in thought because love always returns to the Father – the source of love. Love delivers our thoughts to the Father; thoughts set upon the Father produce more love for the Father and our neighbor.
God is glorified only when Love and Thought are connected.
Thought and love cannot be separated for the Christian – it is our DNA.
Therefore, no Christian is obligated to live a life dominated by their offensive skills. Our warnings can fall away as our thoughts yield to His love because we are new creatures, created with a new DNA of love and thought.
PRAYER: Father, thank you for making me a new creation. Thank you for bonding my thoughts to your love. Forgive me for breaking those bonds and allowing my thoughts to wander unrestrained. Forgive me for not loving my neighbor as you do. I don’t want my thoughts to wander from you. Tune my thoughts to sing your praise. Let thy love, like a fetter bind my wandering thoughts to thee.(Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing) I pray this in the precious name of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen
A DEVOTED LIFE 
Reblogged this on From guestwriters.
Great read JD!
Thanks Christopher
Reblogged this on Talmidimblogging.
Vincent – Thanks for the reblog!
You’re very welcome JD 😎
Reblogged this on A DEVOTED LIFE.
JD,
I have contemplated my impulsive rants a lot recently…Thank you for affirming the truth that I knew, which is the fact that I can’t continue to be so impulsive and achieve progress in the spiritual life…It doesn’t mean that I need to be boring, but I do have to pause for a moment before I speak…Thanks again and God bless you!
Jason
Reblogged this on My Omer of Manna and commented:
Once again, such a great post article. Speak the truth… In Love.
-mike
Seems to me those who frequently offend also tend to be impulsive. They have a hard time remembering to “pause” a moment before they speak or act. I’m not sure how one learns that all-important skill either! Perhaps it begins with an apology, as soon as the realization hits that an offense has occurred.
A thought-provoking post, JD, on an important topic!
The spiritual depth of this article is simply profound. It reads like a Pauline chapter. Thanks, J.D.
As a Master Offender myself, this is a message I need to hear again and again and again. This is very well said, JD, and timely as well. Thank you!
Loving, wise thoughts!
We aren’t to be offensive – malice masquerading as talent with words/insights. There will be times when our Message will be SEEN AS offensive – the offense of the Gospel. But whenever we speak the Gospel, or in ordinary interaction, we’re called to speak the truth in love – thought and love united, all given to the Father, as you said.
Thank you!
This is one of the most powerful posts I’ve read in a long time. Thank you, JD, for reminding us the root from where our branches are nurtured.
As always, well spoken ~ love the phrase “unfettered thoughts” ~ so often have ignited the words of pain and destruction. Blessings ~ Amen :Y
we pass it on in Our DNA, everything we do, it’s why we forgive, otherwise we pass it on, great post, blessings