This month, Patricia invites us to join in God’s Love War. Are you ready to take the challenge?
We see threats of war and hear rumors of war all around us in this hour. Whenever there is war, we see love being violated. Love can settle and dissolve every conflict and battle if everyone chooses it.
During a season of intense public persecution and assault for my beliefs in the supernatural, the Lord called me to a “Love War.” This call to war demanded that I position my heart in love toward all who were treating me unfairly. I was called to use love as a powerful weapon amid the battle. That season worked in me a deep, lifetime commitment to love. Learning to love became my primary pursuit in life.
1 Corinthians 14:1 teaches us to make love our greatest aim, and 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 further reveals that if we do not have love, we have nothing, we are nothing, and we profit nothing. In other words, we can minister with a great anointing, be known for outstanding benevolent acts, operate in mountain-moving faith, and be successful and fruitful in our careers and earthly pursuits, but if we don’t have love, it is all in vain and void of eternal value. Love is the key. Love is the foundation that we are to build life on, for God is love. If we are building our life on God, we are building it on love.
In my love journey, I used the attributes of love that Paul disclosed in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 as my plumbline.
I wish I could testify that I have fulfilled my love pursuit, but I have NOT! In fact, the more I gaze upon Love Himself, the more I see how much I fall short. Even though I desire to be further along in my goal to mature in love, I am truly thankful for the journey and all I am learning and experiencing.
In my book, Live Unoffendable, I highlight one glorious aspect of love: love is unoffendable! Offense can be found at the root of every battle and every war.
I’M NOT EASILY OFFENDED!
I never thought of myself as one who easily entertained offense. I was convinced that I was bent toward seeing the best in all people and all circumstances. When I accepted the Lord’s invitation to live unoffendable as part of my love pursuit, I thought it would be an easy journey, as I did not believe I was easily offended… until I was.
The Holy Spirit began to unfold what it means to live unoffendable according to His standard and not mine. I quickly began to see that I gave into the temptation of offense more often than I was aware. I was deeply convicted and realized I was blinded to degrees of offense I had chosen unintentionally. Offenses are not given—they are taken, and I had taken a few… more than I cared to admit at the time! Some of them I had wrongly accepted as “justifiable,” and others were so subtle that I hadn’t considered labeling them as offense.
I’m glad I accepted this love challenge because it made me aware of how the enemy is aggressively at work to bring great destruction through offense, while most of the time we don’t even realize we are walking in it. If we are to have love established in our lives, then we must embrace the goal to live without offense.
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT OFFENSE?
Let’s take a look at the following scriptures and discover the instruction they give us.
1 Corinthians 13:5
“Love does not traffic in shame and disrespect, nor selfishly seek its own honor. Love is not easily irritated or quick to take offense.” (TPT)
Proverbs 12:16
“If you shrug off an insult and refuse to take offense, you demonstrate discretion indeed. But the fool has a short fuse and will immediately let you know when he’s offended.” (TPT)
Proverbs 18:19
“It is easier to conquer a strong city than to win back a friend whom you’ve offended. Their walls go up, making it nearly impossible to win them back.” (TPT)
Proverbs 24:19
“Don’t be angrily offended over evildoers or be agitated by them.” (TPT)
Psalm 141:5
“When one of your godly ones corrects me or one of your faithful ones rebukes me, I will accept it like an honor I cannot refuse. It will be as healing medicine that I swallow without an offended heart. Even if they are mistaken, I will continue to pray.” (TPT)
Psalm 119:165
“There is such a great peace and well-being that comes to the lovers of your Word, and they will never be offended.” (TPT)
At this point, you might be questioning your own heart regarding offense. Do you at times respond with offense when you face challenging people or situations? If so, in no way am I trying to condemn or shame you. I know that if you are reading this, it is because you want to be like Jesus, who is full of love, forgiveness, and faith. I am eternally grateful that on the cross, Jesus did not harbor even a drop of offense toward us. If He had, none of us would be saved. He was, is, and always will be, unoffendable!
Jesus said that His disciples are identified by their love (John 13:35). You probably agree that we who name Christ as our Savior, unfortunately, are not generally known for our love yet, but this must be our goal. Love is the greatest power in the universe, and we will not overcome without it. When offense is in operation, then love is not. When love is in operation, offense is not.
I want to be like Jesus, and I’m sure you do too! The bar has been raised through Christ’s finished work on the cross, and we are invited to accept this awesome love challenge. We are not alone in the journey. The Holy Spirit is walking with us closely, granting grace and empowerment to pursue a life that is unoffendable and filled with love. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.
YOU ARE INVITED TO GOD’S “LOVE WAR”
I’m inviting you to make love your greatest aim in life and to allow the Holy Spirit to both convict you when you find yourself falling short of His love for others and to empower you to love as He does. I’m inviting you to war with His love and to choose to live unoffendable. As you choose this path, you will grow to be more and more like Him because HE IS LOVE and He is unoffendable. Your home, family, friendships, workplace, church, and community will be blessed as you release the fragrance of His love. Love never fails so when you choose love as your greatest weapon, you will every battle. Are you ready to take the challenge?
He is with you every step of the way and I am praying for you to receive grace from above to walk out this high and holy calling. Engage in God’s Love War and win every battle.
Want More? Then May We Suggest:
LIVE UNOFFENDABLE – Book from Patricia King
Find a better way, overflowing with God’s love instead of offense.
UNOFFENDABLE LOVE AUDIO, VIDEO AND MANUAL – Teaching from Patricia King
UNOFFENDABLE LOVE reveals the causes and damaging consequences of offense that are affecting the health and well-being of individuals, marriages, families, churches, workplaces, and entire regions and nations. This course will teach you how to be free from this trap of darkness so that you can live a better way — a way that will accelerate the flow of God’s goodness in and through your life! In the eye-opening study of Unoffendable Love, you will be invited to joyfully embrace a life that is saturated in the power of God’s love, freedom, and healing.
