'Deflect'

Read all of Gen 3
*vs12-13 - deflection

Deflection is used as a shield to prevent the truth and weight (consequences) of a person’s sin from reaching the place that it needs to reach. It prevents one from coming face to face with themselves and accepting responsibility.

Deflection is when a person can’t or won’t accept full or partial responsibility for their actions and they will place blame on someone else.

The enemy loves to come in through pride to set up a stronghold in this area. As long as he can keep a person deflecting, he keeps them bound in sin. This prevents them from humbling themselves and in turn, allows the enemy permission to torment them and through their stubbornness to forgive.

Deflection is dangerous. As long deflection is operating in a person’s life, they will be in a state of ongoing unforgiveness which leads to bitterness and resentment. They remain blind to any wrongdoing on their part.

Without the willingness to be humble, teachable, and open to self-examination, pride will keep a person bound in deflection.

A person must be willing to look at themselves and accept responsibility and come to true repentance. This comes by the hand of God in His time, His doing, and His careful strategic ways. God needs to expose the lies and soften the heart so it’s prepared to take a look at itself and accept responsibility for what it failed at doing. This is the goodness of God’s love that leads a heart to repentance and overcoming deflection.

“Time to heal the rift”.
-a broken relationship; not a good relationship because of a serious quarrel or disagreement.

Offense then creeps in which prevents that relationship being restored/reconciled to one another

See Word Wealth for offended/ offense -Matt 11:6 and 16:23

Pride and blindness to truth will hinder the restoration process, and keep the offended person in captivity.

We are called to be ministers of reconciliation; repairers of the breach.

Love, forgiveness, and mercy are to be extended to them.

Gary Woods stated that 1 of the 3 things that would indicate the soon return of Christ would be 'a spirit of restoration.'

The greatest relationship that needs to be restored is that to God.

James 5:19-20 TPT/MSG
Finally, as members of God’s beloved family, we must go after the one who wanders from the truth and bring him back. For the one who restores the sinning believer back to God from the error of his way, gives back to his soul life from the dead, and covers over countless sins by their demonstration of love!

My dear friends, if you know people who have wandered off from God’s truth, don’t write them off. Go after them. Get them back and you will have rescued precious lives from destruction and prevented an epidemic of wandering away from God.

Offence/unforgiveness hinders restoration

Prayed…

-against pride, rebellion, and stubbornness and for the strength and courage to boldly face and own their wrongdoings and the desire for change.
-that their hearts yield to the power of forgiveness and be willing to let go of all offenses
-that they humble themselves, repent and are restored to God and to their family.