For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins:
We were taken from among men and are being trained in things pertaining to God. To be taken from among men means we have been brought out or separated from the world. We now have a high priests ministry where we can approach God on behalf of someone who is not saved or needs help.
But the enemy will always try to get the children of God to discredit God’s power in their lives. With women, he uses emotional pain and hurt.
As women of the gospel, and if we desire to be used effectively by God in these end-times, we must overcome hurts and offenses. Hurt is a weight to self, but a sin when it affects others, regardless of whether or not it is deliberately inflicted. One of the greatest hindrances to spiritual growth in the Body of Christ is hurt that results from an offense. Hurt will neutralize you to a point where you are unable to minister. If not dealt with righteously it can become a stumbling block to those within your sphere of influence.
The Church has not been trained in how to deal with hurt. We adopted a mindset that we have operated in most of our spiritual lives. It is the “you hurt me, I hurt you back” mentality. My feelings were hurt due to your unrighteousness, therefore I have a right to carry that hurt. This is an issue that needs to be settled.
Woman Heal Thy Own Hurt
EMOTIONAL PAIN
Women who are chosen by God are equipped to bear the worst of trials. Because they are chosen to do a specific work, their training and development includes tests that will teach them to live above the dictates of their emotions. These types of tests are of vital importance to the female because the enemy knows her weakness lies in her inability to overcome her emotions.
Most women make decisions based upon the dictates of their feelings in situations or relationships. This means the enemy is able to create certain circumstances designed to elicit an emotional response which is totally void of godly influence. He is an expert at causing a woman to move from a sober state of mind into one void of purpose and spiritual reasoning.
Luke 17:1-5
1 Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come!
2 It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.
3 Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.
4 And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.
5 And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.
When all other temptations fail, the enemy will attempt to get the woman to defeat herself. The greatest weapon of Satan against the female minister is emotional pain. He has used it as an effective weapon to neutralize the woman in ministry. If you are going to be used by God in this end-time movement, you must learn how to deal with emotional pain and disappointment.
Does this mean the woman in ministry has to be past feeling? I say not. For the offenses, and disappointments will be felt. The pain will be very real. You will feel all of the attributes of hurt. However, we must not allow hurt to cripple. It must not paralyze. You must be able to discern the purpose of God and Satan in every situation, circumstance and relationship. If you allow your feelings to paralyze you, you will be rendered inoperable, or ineffective. At the least, your negative disposition will bring about a negative effect on your ministry.
You must emerge as the victor in an offense, not the victim. Always discern the purpose of the offense. Satan desires to remove you from the ministerial platform. He will attempt to do this in many ways. Offenses will come to challenge the validity of your calling; which may neither be respected nor believed. You don’t have to launch a campaign to prove who you are in God. Just do whatever He called you to do, in love. God will vindicate you in the minds and hearts of the people. Remember, IT IS GOD WHO EXALTS, AND IT IS HE THAT ABASES.
Emotion – The inward response to the feelings or passions of the flesh. Passion and feeling both mean to be touched by; affected; to experience sensation and impression.
Websters Dictionary
Temptation – A reminder of past pleasures or an introduction to new ones.
Banks’ Expository
The power of the Holy Ghost in us can overcome any offense.
OVERCOMING HURT
You are suffering a hurt. Not just a hurt, the worst of hurts. The offense of a loved one. The pain is deep. The pain is real. Now stop to consider exactly what you feel and why.
1. Lingering hurt is caused by the workings of the fleshy mind. The initial hurt may have been caused by something someone said or did. This knowledge pierced the heart. However, the healing or furtherance of the pain is going to depend upon the manner in which the fleshy mind processes the knowledge of the offense.
Whatever was said or done, must be processed with grace and mercy, if the hurt is to be neutralized. Considering purpose, and the difference God’s influence has made in your own life, will provide you with the mercy needed to forgive the offender for his crime against you.
The fleshy mind is able to keep the hurt alive and well. To do this, it will refuse to consider the spiritual location of the offender. It will not consider the offender does not see you as God sees you. He or she may not be aware of your purpose, call or commitment to the will of God. That individual may only see you as a human being with weaknesses common to mankind. He may not understand your past or present failures as merely your season of testing, which will bring you closer to the mind of God. This may either be foreign to him, or his pride may simply blind him to this realization. Allow patience to have its perfect work. Forgive and go on. I guarantee the pain will leave.
2. The fleshy mind will look for alternatives to prolong the mental stress and anguish of the offense. In the midst of your pain the mind continuously rehearses the offense. It judges it as cruel and unfair. Therefore, the offender must be made to experience some type of consequence for having laid the offense. He or she must be made to suffer, even if only in some small way.
a. The first alternative is to break fellowship with the offender. This is the easiest thing for a woman to do. She is an expert at not speaking to someone who has offended her. Just remember, that with the breaking of the fellowship, comes the breaking of any opportunity to leave a positive influence in that person’s life. You must decide which is more important: your pride or your purpose.
b. The second alternative is to revert back to old modes of operation, in which we, as women, employed all our feminine wiles to obtain the results we wanted. This again is retaliation. It takes God completely out of the picture. It is unrighteous and proves that you cannot be trusted to allow the Lord to fight your battles.
c. The third alternative is to reveal the truth in unrighteousness. Those of us, who are spiritually learned, may be able to see the oncoming fate of the offender. It may not be pleasant. However, if we rejoice in the potentiality of their downfall, then we become as they. If you are able to see the downfall or the future failure of your offender it must be handled with care. You must not reveal such revelation in anger or malice.
Wrong thinking is the root of all sin.
Galatians 6:1
Brethren, if a man is overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest ye also be tempted.
You must be careful to remain humble, realizing that even though the Holy Ghost allows you to see the future state of the individual, the chastening will be done by Him, not you.
Speak the truth, warn or admonish the offender. However, do it in love and wisdom; with grace and mercy. If they don't accept or receive the truth, leave it alone. Go on to something else. Don’t fight or try to force them to accept what you know to be the truth. Just love them and let God bring about the manifestation of what He has revealed to you. Remember, when the rod of correction comes, they are going to need a friend who is in right standing with God.
A woman is able to win the right to be used in the service of the Lord. To do so, she must overcome herself. She is a very emotional creature, and the weaker vessel in the natural. However, as a woman, you can be the most powerful spiritual weapon ever created against the devil. Don’t let Satan rob you of the opportunity to serve the Lord. Control your emotions. Sprinkle a little grace and mercy on your thoughts of the offender. The pain will not survive in the presence of purpose.
You must begin to see every offense as an opportunity to glorify the Father. IT IS IN THE MIDST OF AN OFFENSE THAT WE DISCOVER THE POWER OF CHRIST. Each offense is an opportunity for you to live past the dictates of the fleshy mind and the emotions of the heart; thereby moving into the life of the Spirit. This is how you heal your own hurt; and in this, God is glorified. It is here men will see your good works and glorify the Father. Don’t let an offense put your light out. Let it shine as a beacon which leads to the mind and heart of God.
Scripture admonish us to forgive all offenses.
Truth – The Word of God and the way of godliness.
You must begin to see every offense as a test of your ministry. Most of the offenses you will encounter in the early stages of development will occur in your home or come from those who are close to you. These people represent your first congregation. They are the ones being used to test the validity of what you say God has called you to. If you cannot leave a positive impression with them, then what kind of an impact will you have on the rest of this world full of offenders?
Because women are prone to make decisions based on their hurts or emotions, you must be thoroughly trained in this area. Your tests in this area will be many.
You need to begin to examine the way you handle offenses among relatives and friends, church members and co-workers. These are the people being used to train you. The Lord will allow you to be offended within your small sphere of existence, before He can allow the world access to you.
You must learn to walk in the Spirit, especially during the time of an offense. You may be the called of God, but you cannot allow your emotions to rob you of that blessed opportunity to serve.
Philippians 4:8
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
