Are you one of those people who is offended before you even start to read the Bible? That's one of the biggest problems I see when it comes to understanding the Bible and applying it to your life. Maybe a friend shared a passage with you that was taken completely out of context, leaving you confused. Or, a sadly incompetent preacher twisted a passage to suit his own warped opinions, leaving you frustrated. But, instead of searching out the truth for yourself, you remain in a state of confusion and frustration, which leads you to feel offended by the Bible and, ultimately, by God. One very common passage of Scripture this happens with is in Ephesians, chapters 5 and 6...the passage which deals with relationships between husbands and wives, children and parents, "slaves" and "masters". Wives -- and women in general -- love to be offended when the word "submission" comes up, without ever realizing the full context and meaning of the passage. Did you know the instructions to husbands which follow are at least three times as long as the teaching to wives???...and when fully understood and practiced, bring a safety and security, i.e., a "true love forever" environment under which any sane woman would thrive and to which she would joyfully "submit"??? Let me tell ya, any husband who understands the instructions written to him would never ever act as if he were the boss and his wife the employee! Parents love to pull out the old, "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right..." passage without ever reading far enough to see, "Fathers, do not exasperate your children..."! We get it all wrong when we read the Bible with offense, pre-conceived notions, twisted references, and misinformation blinding our eyes, clouding our minds, and blocking our hearts. Next time you open your Bible, I challenge you to ask God to help you remove all those roadblocks. I guarantee you will begin to know the truth and it will set you free! I know it has me!
c2009 Lorenda Houston
