Building Offenses

Our team was formed in Gainesville, GA – 14 strangers put together for 3 months on a mission trip, in Zambia and Botswana. 

The first few weeks in Zambia, we were all learning how to live with each other, in one house, at two different Morning ministries, coming from many different backgrounds and three different countries. 

Community living does not always come naturally. Each person brings their own baggage, coping mechanisms learned from previous relationships and interactions with people and different habits. 

One habit that was happening often was gossip. 

We have daily times called feedback, where we are all asked to be open with one another and address anything that has happened in the previous 24 hours. Both positive and constructively, to help us see our blind spots and to build one another up. 

Gossip had been addressed as being an issue in our group but no one brought up specifics. 

Last Tuesday night, we had a night where everyone was asked to be open and address gossip and other concerns within the group. 

We spent a good amount of time allowing everyone to say what was on their minds. Just putting everything out in the open. 

After our talk, we watched a sermon by Steven Furtick, from Elevation Church. The message was about building offenses between one another. You can watch the sermon here: https://youtu.be/RwXqcOMw0ng

Do you believe that Satan comes to  steal, kill and destroy? (John 10:10)

Satan, our enemy, as believers and followers of Jesus Christ, wants to bring about division in our families, in our Churches, in our communities, in our small groups and in our Passport team. H

In this case, the enemy was trying to bring division by gossip and the gossip was making people feel like some people were in the “in crowd” and some were “outsiders.” 

When someone offends you and you store it away/put one plank in the fence between you two and don’t talk about the offense, it gives power to the enemy who wants to divide you. 

Over time, the offenses build up and a fence/wall is built between you and the person/group. 

It becomes hard to hear one another from the other side of the fence/wall. Hate/self pity/grudges/distain grow in your heart and mind for that person/group because of the fence/wall those offenses have made. 

A way to break down the fence/wall is to start talking about the offenses with the person/group. As you talk about the offense, throw that plank away. 

Before you know it, the fence/wall has been disassembled. 

You can prevent more separation by talking about the offenses when they happen. 

This is what our team has committed to:

      – Open communication with one another

      – Not talking about each other in gossip 

      – Holding each other accountable to have hard conversations