This is from the new book I am currently working on. The working title is …. “The Power of Unity– Relationships that Make Us Whole. ” I have yet to settle on the final title. I hope to have this book done and published before fall. We shall see. This excerpt is the introduction to chapter eight… Let me know what you think!
Do not take the bait, don’t bite the apple.
One of my favorite childhood movies was the Disney hit, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The beautiful and innocent Snow White had a wicked stepmother, the queen. The stepmother became so jealous of Snow White’s beauty that she devised a plot to have her killed. I’m sure you remember the story. Instead of killing her, she was taken to a cottage to live with the seven dwarfs.
All was well and life was good in the cottage with seven dwarfs. That is, until the queen discovered that Snow White was not really dead. Her anger at being tricked became volatile. So, she came up with another plan and this time she would take care of it herself. She disguised herself and took Snow White a poisoned apple.
I remember sitting on the edge of my seat in the Ritz Theater, wanting to shout out to Snow White, “Don’t do it! Don’t take the bait! It’s poisoned! “I wanted to stop her, but I could not.
The apple looked beautiful, like a delicious treat; but it was not as it appeared. It was all a cruel trick. But alas, she took the bait anyways. My good intentions had come to naught and she bit into the apple. So, she promptly fell asleep; a sleep from which no one could awaken her. Well no one except of course, for her sweet prince. There was one appointed to save her from this dastardly deed.
It all sounds strangely familiar, does it not? Like the story of Eve in the garden of Eden. Jealousy provoked evil, deception, death, and a hero named Jesus. Yet today, the jealousy continues. We have an adversary that wishes to deceive and take us out. His name is Satan, and one of his poisons of choice is the poison of offence. If he can convince us that we have a right to be offended, it will poison our minds.
Once we partake, there is only one remedy. We must exchange our offence with the forgiveness once given to us. We overcome evil with good. We overcome hate with love. A better solution is to simply not pick up offence in the first place. We do have a choice, but we must exercise the right to choose. If we recognize it for what it is, we do not need to pick it up. We can choose to walk away and leave it alone to die. We can choose to say, “not this time Satan! I am not taking your bait. I don’t want your apple of offence. I choose to love and forgive.” Allow God’s love to heal your heart and rid your mind of the poison of offence. Let Satan know that you are on to his tricks and not taking his bait.