You’d think that as followers of Christ, we’d be the last people to take offence to things! But all too often, we’re easily offended. What I want to point out today is that there’s power in becoming unoffendable! Matthew 24:10-12: “…many will be offended, will betray one another and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold…” The less offence you take, the less betrayal and hatred you’ll experience. I’m not saying that these things won’t be going on all around you but that you’ll personally find freedom from these things.
Emotions can be difficult to control, but what if I told you that becoming unoffendable is a choice? You just have to pick it up as a tool and use it! Everyone gets angry, but learning how to deal with that anger upfront keeps you from turning to what I talked about above—betrayal and hatred. I love how Ephesians 4:26 puts it! “When you are angry, do not sin, and be sure to stop being angry before the end of the day.” It’s inevitable that you’ll get angry, but it’s up to you to fuel that anger or to turn to God, receive and extend forgiveness, and move on. You may feel entitled to be offended, but you need to forfeit this imagined right and choose the other path.
While being unoffendable is a godly attribute, it doesn’t come without a price! The Bible says that people will know you’re a Christian by your love (John 13:35). But the Bible also says that you’ll be persecuted for your righteousness (Matthew 5:10). Life comes with many joys and hardships, but the peace of God gets you through all of it. Even Jesus experienced anger, but He always turned to God and put others before Himself.
Take a look at what the Bible says about purity in Titus 1:15: “To people who are pure, everything is pure, but to those who are full of sin and don’t believe, nothing is pure. Really, their thinking has become evil and their consciences have been ruined.” What sounds better to you, walking around in purity or walking around with evil thoughts? When you choose purity, you will naturally turn away from offence. But when you choose evil, you will find any excuse to be offended by anything and everything! Chose—today and every day—be to as godly as possible.
Aside from walking in purity, what’s another step you could take toward becoming unoffendable? This is simple but not always easy—accept the fact that vengeance belongs to the Lord and not to you (Jeremiah 46:10)! Yes, as a parent, a leader, etc. you ARE going to be responsible for correcting other people. But vengeance shouldn’t be a part of your game plan. What good has ever come of someone trying to play God?
It’s easy to get offended, no matter your life circumstances. Sometimes, it’s the people who are supposed to love you the most who hurt you the most. Even Jesus was put down by His family. “Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat. When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, ‘He is out of his mind’” (Mark 3: 20-21).
People always talk about being in this world but not of it. Being unoffendable is one of the ways you can do this. Follow Colossians 3:2: “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” You’re not going to find the answers or solutions you need through anger but through a pure mindset and devotion to following God rather than your anger!