From the Daily Dose Journal Series

Shake it off

And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them. Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!” ~ Mark 6:11

Have you ever carried something you were concerned or worried about far longer than you were meant to, only to realize it was quietly draining your peace the entire time? I talked about offense yesterday and how the people of Jesus’ hometown were offended because they thought they knew who Jesus was. They weren’t willing to admit that they could have been wrong or that maybe there was something they didn’t know about Him.

We have many opportunities in life to become offended, and we often take them. Maybe because of something that was said, or maybe it was something that was not said. Usually, we become offended because of some action that someone did that we did not feel was appropriate or the right way to handle something.

Today’s scripture gives us both the answer and the solution when we are tempted to become offended. Jesus told the disciples to go out into other cities and minister there, giving them power. He instructed them not to take provisions with them, but to trust that the people they ministered to would take care of their needs. Then He made it clear that if their message and the power they carried were not received, they were not to hold on to hurt feelings or disappointment. Instead, they were to shake it off, and it would stand as a testimony.

That instruction still speaks to us today. When offense or any hurt and bitter feelings try to take hold of your heart, you are called to shake it off. It is not always easy. I recently realized I was heading toward offense and did not even recognize it until days later. That is how subtle it can be.

The first step to staying free from offense is recognizing when the temptation is coming. Offense often begins quietly, but its symptoms show up quickly. Peace begins to leave your heart. Your thoughts become consumed, even preoccupied with a situation. Fear tries to settle in, and questions start to rise about why it happened and how someone could act that way. Then comes the desire to share the situation with others, which often turns into complaining. In those moments, there is often a hesitation to go straight to God. Instead, there is a pull to analyze everything first.

When you begin to notice these warning signs, let them serve as an alarm. They are not there to condemn you, they are there to redirect you. Go to God and allow Him to restore your peace. From that place, you will have the strength to release resentment and disappointment before they take root.

Here are some practical ways to apply this passage and get started:

1. Pay attention to your peace, when it begins to leave, pause and ask God what is happening in your heart
2. Take your thoughts captive early, when you notice repeated thoughts about a situation, bring them to God in prayer
3. Choose prayer over discussion first, go to God before going to others so your heart can be settled in truth
4. Ask for forgiveness quickly, ask God to forgive you and the person involved, even if it feels difficult at first
5. Speak truth over your emotions, remind yourself that you are not called to carry offense, you are called to walk in freedom
6. Release it intentionally, picture yourself giving the situation to God and leaving it in His hands
7. Stay in His presence until peace returns, do not rush the process, allow Him to fully restore your heart

Today I want to encourage you to shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against whatever or whoever is bringing offense toward you. Recognize the warning signs early and run to your heavenly Father for peace. Refuse to carry what He never intended for you to hold. As you release offense and choose His peace, you step out of the enemy’s trap and into the freedom, strength, and purpose God has prepared for you.Top of Form

Bottom of Form

Today’s scripture reading: Mark 6:7-13

7 And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits. 

8 He commanded them to take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bag, no bread, no copper in their money belts— 

9 but to wear sandals, and not to put on two tunics.

10 Also He said to them, “In whatever place you enter a house, stay there till you depart from that place. 

11 And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them. Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!”

12 So they went out and preached that people should repent. 

13 And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them.

Journal:

• What situations have recently disturbed my peace, and how did I respond
• What early warning signs of offense can I recognize in my own life
• Have I been going to others before going to God, and how can I change that
• What would it look like for me to fully release this situation to God today
• How can I practice choosing peace the next time I feel offense rising