3-24-22 So Offended
Quote: “An unhealed person can find offense in pretty much anything someone does. A healed person understands that the actions of others has absolutely nothing to do with them. Each day you get to decide which one you will be.”
Is it just me or have you noticed that people seem to be much more easily offended these days?
I have never seen such vicious language as I have on social media in the past couple years when people are stating their opinions. I was always taught that you don’t have to agree on everything. It’s called agree to disagree! I teach that to my 5th graders and my own children and I pray they never forget it. We can all still live on the same planet and do great things together. I have so many great friends that are atheists or are agnostic. I love them to pieces and I do not push my faith or my beliefs on them. It’s not my job to do that. My job is to love them. And not just them – everyone. We are to stand up for injustices but not at the expense of our integrity. Agree to disagree. It is a fine line we must walk. But I will not be the one to offend people on purpose.
Just know that you will never agree with every person on every issue in your life – but you do need to figure out how to do life with them anyway.
I don’t know exactly why people seem to be more easily offended now but I will share with you what the Bible says. One day, Jesus is hanging out with his closest friends and they ask him an important question. It says this in Matthew 24:3 – “And as he sat upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, ‘Tell us, when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of your coming, and of the end of the world?'” Jesus gives a lengthy response and mentions many things – many will deceive others, nations will rise against nations, there will be famines and earthquakes. Then in verse 10 he says this: “And then many will be offended, and will betray one other and hate one another.” Jesus predicted that many will be offended and of course it’s happening!
But when I saw this quote, I couldn’t help but start thinking about some of the recent things that people have said to me that kind of rubbed me the wrong way. This quote basically says that unhealed people get offended easily. I don’t want to live like that. I don’t want people to have to tiptoe around me if I am living unhealed. I want to be a whole, healed person. Someone recently used a word to describe me that was so vicious and hurtful. I shared the word with a few close friends and do you want to know what their response was? They laughed! I was so perplexed. They explained to me that I needed to consider the source, that the person who had said it was living wounded and was struggling with their own problems.
Hurt people hurt people. When we are hurting, we often say things out of wounded places. That comment had nothing to do with the kind of person I was. It was an indicator of that person’s current place in life. Always ask close friends and God what they think about you before you start believing what others say about you.
Don’t let others’ words offend you. Instead, choose to be offended by deep injustices against children and families and minorities. Get fired up about helping those who are poor or less fortunate. Visit a third world country and love on those in poverty. You will quickly see that the little things that we get offended by are so trivial compared to what others deal with on a daily basis.
Living offended means you are living unhealed. Seek healing for your wounds so that others’ words don’t hurt you so deeply.
