No Offense...Stop Being Offended

Something that every one of us have faced and will face is OFFENSE.

Offense...annoyance or resentment brought about by a perceived insult to or disregard for oneself or one's standards or principles.

Tyndale Bible Dictionary Offend, Offense

OFFENSE Words used two ways in the Bible: doing what is wrong oneself, or causing someone else to do wrong or to stumble.

On a scale of 1-10, 1 being non offend-able and 10 being offended at everything, where do you stand? Sadly our culture today has fostered an offended world. People complain about everything. They’re offended by anyone that has a different opinion or point of view. Sometimes it feels like people are walking around looking for a fight.

James 1:19 NKJV

So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath;

James tells us to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger. How are we doing? Do we listen to those around us, even when we know that we disagree? Do we allow others to speak, or are talking and yelling over them? Are we patient and slow to anger, or are we just bent on fighting?

Matthew 5:9 NKJV

Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.

Who wouldn’t rather be be blessed than to be right? How effective is your anger, is it working for you? Is your anger making you more like Jesus?

James 1:20 NKJV

for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

Our anger doesn’t produce the things of God. I believe that it’s possible to be angry like Jesus. Jesus flipped tables and drove sinful things out of the Temple. His anger was righteous, He was angry about sin as we should be. Righteous anger doesn’t lead us to hate each other, but rather it will lead us to compassion.

Problem is that most of the time our anger isn’t righteous. It’s self righteous anger that most of us will experience.

We judge their foul language while we ignore our spiritual pride.

We judge their sexual sins while we ignore our gluttony.

We’re always justified in our anger because it’s ours!

Self righteous anger doesn’t make the world a better place, change anybody’s mind, bring joy, peace, or happiness. It doesn’t make us more loving or lovable.

Matthew 22:37–39 NKJV

Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

Jesus never called us to be right, He called us to love. We must know the difference between self-righteous anger and righteous anger. When we battle against all the offensive darkness in this world we lead with love not anger.

How Do We Let Go Of Anger?

Lower our expectations of others…

Why our we so shocked or perplexed by peoples behavior?

2 Timothy 3:2–4 NKJV

For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,

Humanity isn’t perfect. I’m not perfect, you’re not perfect, only Jesus was perfect. Sinful people do sinful things. Sinful people will let you down.

Jesus was never shocked by self-centeredness.

Jesus was never shocked by immorality.

Jesus wasn’t shocked by a woman married 5x and shacked up with a man at the time.

Jesus wasn’t shocked by disciples arguing about who was the greatest among them.

Simon Peter bragged, lied, betrayed and denied Jesus. Jesus wasn’t surprised. Jesus forgave and loved Peter.

Lower our expectations of people, we’ve all fallen short.

Raise Your Gratitude For God’s Grace...

Lift your hand if you’ve never lied, cheated, looked lustfully, envied or gossiped.

Ephesians 2:8–9 NKJV

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

I’m not trying to make light of things that we’ve been through. Most of us have been hurt badly at some point. We’ve been molested, lied to, lied about, abused, and cheated on. Our children have been hurt, and we’ve been disappointed.

We must be careful not to fuel our anger and fires of injustice.

John 8:1–11 NKJV

But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear. So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”

Without a doubt, they had caught her in sin. Jesus never denied it. He simply challenged the one with no sin to cast that first stone. Self-Righteous anger would have stoned her to death in that street. They would have justified their judgement because of their anger.

The righteous love of God interceded and forgave this woman her sins.

Jesus did not call us to be right, He called us to love. He did not call us to make a point, He called us to make a difference. We can make a difference when we are quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger. Our fleshly self-righteous anger will never produce the righteousness that God desires!