The Power of a Definition

After hearing from different people over the last several months, I realize that so many people suffer from hurt feelings, offense, bitterness and anger.  For some, these feelings are more severe than others, but, the fact remains that people are hurting.  In this study, I basically look closer at the defintion of 'offend'.

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Here are 4 definitions of 'offend' found in the dictionary:

• to cause difficulty, discomfort, or injury
• to cause dislike, anger, or vexation
• to cause pain: to hurt
• to cause to feel vexation or resentment

I want to look at some of the definitions and break this down.  The first states ‘to cause difficulty, discomfort or injury.  Let’s look at ‘difficulty’ first.

Difficulty, according to Merriam Webster’s dictionary, means:

1.      controversy, disagreement

2.      objection

3.      embarrassment, trouble

Discomfort has the following meanings:

1. dismay
2. to make uncomfortable or uneasy

Injury means:

1. an act that damages or hurts
2. hurt, damage, or loss sustained

The second definition states, to cause dislike, anger, or vexation.

Dislike, in the dictionary, means:

1. a feeling of aversion or disapproval
2. discord (lack of agreement or harmony)
3. active quarreling or conflict resulting from discord among persons or factions : Strife

Vexation:

1. the act of harassing or vexing : troubling
2. a cause of trouble :  affliction

The third definition to offend is to cause pain, to hurt:

Pain:

1.      Punishment

2.      acute mental or emotional distress or suffering: Grief

3.      Suffer

Hurt:

1. to inflict with physical pain :  WOUND
2. to do substantial or material harm to :  DAMAGE
3. a: to cause emotional pain or anguish to :  OFFEND

      b: to be detrimental to:  HAMPER (to restrict movement by bonds or obstacles; to interfere, disrupt; restrain

The last definition listed above for ‘offend’ states that it, ‘causes resentment’.

Resentment:

1.      A feeling of indignant displeasure or persistent ill will at something regarded as a wrong.

Wow! When I look at the break-down of the definition of ‘offend’ it causes me to realize the

intensity of being hurt. How careful we need to be not to offend others and, also how to keep

ourselves from being offended. 

The key word in the definition of offend is ‘to cause’.  When we offend someone we are causing

hurt, pain, damage, wounds, grief, suffering, affliction, trouble, strife, dismay, etc.! What a list of

awful feelings for an individual to deal with and work through. God, help me to never cause

anyone any of these things. 

I realize that by studying this topic, it goes very deep.  But, I feel it is so important for so

many people.  Everyone is affected by this; everyone has been hurt and offended at least

once. 

The first step is learning how to deal with the pain caused by someone and move on. 

Forgiveness is a huge part of that process.  We must forgive! No matter how deep the scar,

how awful the pain and hurt has been, we must find a way to forgive. That’s the only way to

be truly happy.