Acts 24:16(KJV)
And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void to offence toward God, and toward men.
Christians on earth will be healthy and pleasant if we would live with a conscience void of offence. In Philippians 4:4, Paul the Apostle admonishes us to rejoice in the Lord all the time. Even though he suffered persecution, he was always joyful and never failed to preach the Gospel. He never allowed the circumstance of his life to take control over him, he maintained an offence free heart before God and towards men. The truth is, if your conscience is always void of offence, you will always rejoice. When the devil wants to fight your joy, he sends people to offend you. John the Baptist, for example, made a costly mistake in his life by being seemingly offended with Jesus(Luke 7:23). This gave an opportunity to Herod to cut off his head.
A clear conscience imparts the boldness of faith in a person’s life and gives access to Divine Direction. Whatever makes you have a heart filled with offence towards God and man is jeopardizing your destiny on earth and eternity in Heaven. God expects your mind to be free of offence so that when inspiration comes, you can receive it. Offence hinders your being sensitive to the voice of God, it also creates a barrier to answered prayers. When your mind is occupied with offence, no blessings will come your way. I have experienced all manner of provocations and irritations from people especially family and friends but nobody is anointed by the devil enough to embitter me into hell. Many will question your decisions and equate it to unforgiveness, resentment, or bitterness however, give the devil no chance and turned every platform as an occasion to preach the Gospel. If our relationship with God and man is clear, reaching where we are meant to reach and becoming what we are meant to become on earth is a certainty.
Beloved, anytime someone comes your way to constitute an offence, he/she is fighting your direction, and the accuracy of your spirit, resist the temptation and refuse to harbor bitterness. People you prayed and fasted for may turn against you. The ones you raised may try to erase you. Many you have given financial help may try to hurt you. Some who you have assisted may try to resist you but make up your mind not to be embittered into hell. The power to forgive offenders is the power to be released from every form of bondage. Keep on pursuing God wholeheartedly, serving Him with a heart void of offence. Forgive people even before they offend you. Remember, sin is the foundation for calamity, unrighteousness promotes destruction and compromise sponsors liability to danger.
O LORD, help me to maintain a heart void of offence before You and towards men in Jesus’ Name.