Having problems with offense or know of someone who is? Read this article by Col Stringer
Get your hand out of the cage monkey! I almost shouted those words out loud recently. And when I did, the Spirit of God revealed something to me I’ll never forget.
At the time, I had just seen a documentary that portrayed how African monkeys are captured and killed. I had watched in amazement as the natives set out a series of cages, each one equipped with a bait stick.
The bait stick, which might be a bright object, piece of food, or anything else a monkey might want, served to lure the monkeys to the cages. Too smart to actually go inside the cages, however, the monkeys would simply reach through the bars and grab the bait stick.
The problem was this: since the stick was too large to get through the bars, the only way the monkey could get his hand out of the cage was to drop it. And dropping the stick is the one thing the monkeys absolutely refused to do.
They would roll, kick, and squeal. They would bare their teeth. They would do everything but let go of the stick. Even when the natives came out and began to bash them over the heads, they still wouldn’t let go. It was a startling sight. Yet even more startling, was the question the Holy Spirit asked me sometime later, after I had heard Pastor Phil Goodeaux speaking on the subject. How many monkeys do you know in the Church?
I knew exactly what He meant. He was telling me that the very same thing that happened to those monkeys is happening in the Church today. The devil has set out cages in an effort to trap believers. Just like the natives, he knows we’re too smart to go into his cage. So he puts in a bait stick.
Do you know what that bait stick is? I call it a scandalon because that’s the Greek word used in the New Testament. But the English translation of it is offense.
The number one tactic the devil is using today to destroy the lives of believers is to get us offended. It’s true, there are multitudes of believers walking around with monumental chips on their shoulder. I travel all over the world teaching at various churches. And I can confidently say that if I went into any city, rounded up all the Christians who had dropped out of church because they had been offended in one way or another and put them all together in one church, it would be the largest church in town! What’s more, once they take offense, most believers will hold onto it at any price. Even when the devil is bashing them over the head, they refuse to let it go. I know that from experience because in times past, I’ve been one of them. But recently that’s changed. Since then, I’ve begun to heed and obey the voice of God when He says to me, Get your hand out of the cage, Monkey!
If you’re anything like I was when the Lord first started dealing with me about offenses, you may not even realize you have your hand in the cage. Most Christians don’t. They’ve rationalized and justified themselves by saying, “Well, after what that person did to me, I just can’t help feeling this way.” That’s what I did. Some time ago, the Spirit of God said to me, “You are offended.” And I said, “No Lord, I’m not offended. I’m just a little hurt.” “Then why do you get a knot in your stomach every time you see that person?” He asked. “Why does it bother you when you hear someone else praising him? I’ll tell you why. You have your hand in the cage!” Listen, if you have hand in the cage today, admit it. If you don’t, it could cost you your ministry. It could cost you your children. It could cost you your finances. It could even cost you your life. Why? First of all because the Bible tells us that the devil uses offenses to steal the Word from our heart. Mark 4 says: And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts. And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness, and have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time, afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended (verses 15-17).
It doesn’t matter how much Word you have in your heart, if you take offense and refuse to let go, the devil will beat that Word right out of you. I’ve seen it happen. I know a man who used to pastor a church of 2,000 people. We used to minister together. Yet one day this man jumped up and left his church, his family and his ministry. Not long ago, I sat down to talk with him and he said, “I don’t want to hear anything about God. I’m not interested. Just leave me alone. What brought about that dramatic change? He was deeply offended and through that offense the devil stole the Word from his heart. If you want the Word to work in your life, you’d better let go of the offenses you’ve been holding onto. You’d better take the advice God gave me and get your hand out the cage, Monkey!
You can see another dangerous consequence of taking offense in Mark 6. There we see Jesus going into His hometown of Nazareth to minister. And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? And what wisdom is this, which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands? Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him. And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them (verses 2-3, 5).
Now in that situation, the anointing power of God was flowing, but the offense taken by these people blocked its operation. Let me ask you a question, if Jesus couldn’t get offended people healed, how do you think your pastor is going to be able to do it? Think about that next time you’re tempted to take offense. Ask yourself if you can afford to cut yourself off from the anointing of God. I can tell you right now, the answer will be no. The Bible says the devil goes around as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. The people easiest to devour are the ones who have their in the cage. So get you hand out of the cage, Monkey!
If you want yet another reason for ridding yourself of offenses, consider this. Offenses rob you of your joy and in Deuteronomy 28: 47-48, God says: “Because thou servedst not the Lord thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things; therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies.” I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to spend my life serving the devil. I don’t want my life to be constantly at the mercy of sickness, calamity, failure, and all the rest of his stuff. No Christian does. Yet, when somebody offends us, instead of responding wisely, laying down that bait stick and walking away, all too often we get mad and lose our head. I personally believe that may be what happened to John the Baptist. (Now I’m not presenting this as some kind of new doctrine. I’m just telling you what I personally see in the Scripture. So don’t get offended at me. Just evaluate it for yourself, all right?)
Look at Matthew 11 and you’ll see what I mean. There we see John the Baptist in prison, sending two of his disciples to Jesus to ask Him, “Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?” (verse 3).
Do you realize what an astounding question that is coming from John? He was the first one to recognize Jesus. He water baptized Jesus, He saw the anointing of the Holy Spirit come upon Him. What could have possibly made John doubt that Jesus was the Messiah? I believe it was because he took offense. The reason I think so is because when Jesus sent answer to him, He said, “Go and show John again those things which ye do hear and see: The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear…And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me” (verses 4-6).
If you think about it, you can understand why John might have eventually taken offense at Jesus. After all, John had lived a tough life, separated from normal people, eating locusts and honey. He was expecting Jesus the Messiah to come in on a white charger and lay an axe to the root of the problem. But instead, Jesus cam along and dined with sinners and turned water into wine. He didn’t fulfill John’s expectations and John was offended.
In other words, John got his hand in the cage.
I can’t give you chapter and verse, but I personally believe John might not have had to lose his head. If he had not been offended things might have turned out differently.
Am I criticizing John the Baptist? Absolutely not. I’m saying he was human. He had to face the same things you and I have to face – and we have to face opportunities to be offended every day of our lives.
If we don’t want to end up being dominated by the devil, we’ll have to say no to those opportunities. We’ll have to make the tough choice, drop the offense and say to ourselves, “Get your hand out of the cage, Monkey!”
Notice I said you’ll have to make the choice. Taking offense is a choice, you know. Nobody has the ability to make you mad. All they can do is offer you the bait stick. You choose whether to take it or not.
Psalm 119: 165 says, “Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.” Did you get that? Nothing!
You can walk free of offense. And if you’re smart, you will. It doesn’t matter how good your reason is for being offended, It doesn’t matter what caused it. If you hold onto it, the devil will steal the Word from your life. He’ll block the anointing. And he’ll beat you over the head with sickness and defeat.
Don’t give him that opportunity. Instead, get smart and get your hand out of the cage, Monkey!
It can save your marriage. It can save your ministry. It can save your life.