DON'T LET OFFENSE STEAL YOUR SPIRITUAL JOY.
Have you ever noticed how some people take offense at things so easily? A general comment is made and they have the audacity to actually be consumed with so much self- focus and self-importance that they think you are talking about them. While as Christians we should never go out of our way to seek to "deliberately" offend anyone, the truth is that sometimes things are inadvertently said by everyone at one time or another that may offend another. In these days where everyone demands political correctness you cannot say anything at all without someone taking issue about something. My thoughts...."Quit whining and get over it". If what was said applies to you, then if the shoe fits, wear it. If it does not apply to you, then ignore it and don't worry about it. Do not let "offense" take away your spiritual joy. Case in point....as a Jewish believer in Christ, I can hardly go to any church at all before sooner or later hearing that "The Jews Crucified Jesus". "The Jewish people put Jesus on the cross". Is this actually true? On the surface and to many it may seem true but not really. The fact is that "Some Jewish leaders conspired with the Roman government to have Jesus crucified". Not all Jews killed Jesus. In fact, really, we ALL killed Jesus, didn't we? He died for the sins of the "world"....and that means you and me, whether we are Jews or not. Nevertheless, when I hear that "The Jews killed Jesus", I could easily take offense and say, "Oh, so you are saying ALL Jews are Christ killers" as is the stereotype by some, and I could walk out of the church. However, if I did that, there would hardly be any church left to go to because no matter where you go, sooner or later someone in a sermon or something says it. Yet I know they are doing it unintentionally or in other words, I know and understand that their point and goal in making the remark was not with this contrived, evil, mental intent and conspiracy to offend and get at all Jews who may be in hearing distance. So when I hear this type of thing, even though some could criticize it as being technically incorrect, it does not really offend me. Why? Let me explain. Sure....I heard what they said. I had many Jewish relatives myself actually die in concentration camps because of persecution and for no other reason than that they were Jewish. So I know a statement like that might offend "some" Jews. But I always look to the spirit of what is being said and who is saying it. What is their real intention? What is the intent of the heart in making such a statement? Was it simply a mistake or was it said with the intentions to offend me as a person of Jewish ethnicity and nationality? Most of time....the high majority of the time, no offense was ever intended and the speaker probably had no idea what he had just said as far as any implications go by dissecting such a statement. So, I just let it go because I realize they meant nothing wrong.
As Christians we cannot be so thin-skinned that we get up and leave at the smallest misstatement or offense....or else offense will become easy and always control us and the outcome of our relationships. The arrogance of such actions as to react and walk off because someone makes a comment you do not like actually suggests that the one who does this is more consumed with themselves....self focus and self importance...than with the actual point of the message in general. "Straining at a gnat they swallow a camel", as the Bible says. Their own self focus and self importance causes them to miss the point of what was being said and in the end, they lose out and never grow. While we should never seek to offend others and should do the very best we can to walk and speak both in wisdom and love, we also need to understand the damage that being so easily offended causes us. We need to grow up and be a little less thin-skinned about everything. If not, we end up allowing the words of others...perhaps innocently intended...to steal our own spiritual joy and growth through the sin of offense. May the Lord bless you.
Evangelist Mischa Safdie'
07/26/2012
