Living Free From the Weight of OffenseSample

The Weight of Offense

I’ll never forget the meeting where my idea was dismissed with a single sentence. I smiled politely, but inside I crumbled. Later that night, the sting replayed itself in my mind over and over. It wasn’t just about the meeting. It triggered every memory of being overlooked, unseen, and silenced. Offense has a way of piling up like that.

David knew this pain. He wrote in Psalm 55, “If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it... But it is you, my companion, my close friend” (vv. 12–13). Offense always weighs heavier when it comes from those closest to us. And yet David also shows us where to turn: “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you” (v. 22).

The Greek word for “offense” is skándalon—a stumbling block, a trap. That’s what it becomes when we carry it instead of casting it. Jesus offers us rest, a yoke that is light, but only if we’re willing to hand Him the weight.

Reflection: What offense are you still carrying? How might laying it before Jesus today lift the weight off your shoulders?