“We should be too big to take offense… And too noble to give it.” – Abe Lincoln
As leaders, we are called to take the higher road. That means living with an un-offendable heart. The offense is found everywhere we turn. People are easily offended these days and living on the edge. Offense spreads like a deadly virus. What we think is self-protection, is actually hidden as self-destruction.
If anyone had a reason to be offended, it was Jesus himself. Yet on the cross, he said “Forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
Matthew 24:10 even warns us that the day would come where many would-be offended “And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.”
Offense is really just taking a situation into our own hands, not trusting that God will protect us and fight for us and work it out on our behalf. Do we really think we hold more power than God himself?
When we hand over our offense to God, it takes the burden off of us and he gets to fight for us.
Offended people often aren’t happy people. Offense causes us to become victims and carry a victim mentality. We feel we have a right to be offended, but as believers and leaders, we don’t live by the standards of the world but by the culture of the Kingdom.
Offended people aren't happy people. Click To TweetLiving free of offense is living a life of freedom and joy. It can only happen when we are rooted and grounded in love. When we know God’s love, it will overflow into every other area of our lives. We must know God’s love to become love and to give love.
Are you carrying offense today? If so, how has that been going for you? Are you tired of bearing the load? You don’t have to any longer. You can live free from offense and walk in forgiveness. Choosing love over bitterness and freedom over the bondage of a victim mentality.
Pray. Seek God. Ask him to give you an un-offendable heart and then seek a mentor or leader in your life that you can talk through this with and help you overcome any offense. And if this doesn’t apply to you, how can you take this message of living un-offended and create a culture within your team that is un-offendable? Our family life, work-life, and churches will all become better and flourish when we overcome the root of offense.
Keep growing, and keep leaning into the Holy Spirit. He will guide you in all truth.
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