Love is Not Easily Offended
Written By Israel Wayne
There is probably no way to say this without someone getting offended…
But why do people always have to get offended about every living thing?
As a speaker, I find it incredibly distracting to have to put in a billion qualifiers to everything I say so people won’t be put off by what I say.
For example, if I say that marriage is important, and a God-honored institution, the singles in the audience get offended, and tell me that Paul said it’s better not to marry.
If I say that fathers are important, single-parent mothers get offended, and say that I’m being discouraging to them. Or just mothers in general feel like I’m saying they don’t matter.
If I say that God intends marriage to be for life, people who are divorced get offended, and tell me that it’s not always your fault if your spouse leaves you.
And on, and on.
Look, I get all of that. Honest I do. I’m just wondering why people assume that if you affirm one thing, you are somehow speaking disparagingly about another? Couldn’t we just accept statements that are generally true, without assuming that there is a sweeping denunciation of every other category in the universe?
I can certainly add a host of disclaimers and exception clauses all the time to try to keep everyone happy (and usually do), but it gets old.
I didn’t have this problem 15 years ago. For the most part, people just heard you out, and used a filter of common sense to understand what you were saying. What has happened in recent years that has made so many people emotionally fragile and defensive?
Charity…Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil.
1 Corinthians 13:5
9 thoughts on “Love is Not Easily Offended”
So very true. The church it seems has gone so far into relativism that truth does not stand for much anymore except to offend the one who wants to point out all its exceptions and qualifiers. There may be an exception to how truth is applied and lived out by imperfect humans, but God’s truth has stood the test of time and the test of His faithfulness throughout the ages. It is His truth that sets men and women free!
Common Christians! Let’s stand for God’s truth even if at times we do not live up to it. Let’s let the truth of God convict us and move us towards the love of Christ and righteousness without being so easily offended by it, or by those who try to teach and explain it. They will never get it perfectly said just the way you want it to be said, and neither should they try if they are speaking from the heart of what the Lord is showing them.
Few prophets and teachers of old did not have others casting stones at them. Imagine Jonathan Edwards preaching “Sinners in the hands of an angry God” to today’s church and culture! Whoa! and Woe to those who neglect the truth of God’s Word for they will meet their Maker some day soon and be without excuse for their gossip and hate filled words and they way they chose to live life without Belief.
https://www.blueletterbible.org/comm/edwards_jonathan/sermons/sinners.cfm
Amen!
This is a great truth and post. Thanks for sharing it, Lori.
AMEN.
Enjoying your articles very much. This one is so perfect I just had to leave a reply. Excellent! And say on! Thank you for articulating what many of us feel! Once it seemed as if respecting others and their opinions was norm and only the rare occasion would initiate someone to be offended. Now differing opinions is not only offensive to many but those people seem to feel free to verbally attack you (often via text or another form of cowardice that allows them to attack others from their sofas). An encouraging article to keep the law of kindness in my tongue while expressing my opinions and respecting those whose are different than mine.
Once it seemed as if respecting others and their opinions was norm and only the rare occasion would initiate someone to be offended. Now differing opinions is not only offensive to many but those people seem to feel free to verbally attack you (often via text or another form of cowardice that allows them to attack others from their sofas). An encouraging article to keep the law of kindness in my tongue while expressing my opinions and respecting those whose are different than mine.
Thank you for this. It does seem people are offended by every little thing. I just read an article about a 10 year old boy who was punished because he called his teacher ” ma’am as a sign of respect. Something he was taught by his parents. The teacher was offended by it. Seriously people really need to stop being offended by every little thing. You would think these offended people were 12 years old!
I agree no matter what you say, everybody’s a critic! 🙁 When we talk about controversial subjects the politically correct world finds unflattering, then it attracts backlash as you well know, and I certainly found out through speaking out on my blog! The “I want to do what I want consequence free” lack of accountability culture doesn’t want to hear how their choices hurt others or even themselves! The hook up, any family is a real family culture, hurts our children and we’re raising a generation of broken homes and devalued families! I add many nuances and caveats to my arguments, but when it’s time to just frankly state the truth, I don’t hesitate! Keep speaking out and standing up for virtue and truth! Don’t let them silence your voice!
Great post, and very true. This ties in to the sermon I heard last Sunday. The gospel reading was from John 6, when Jesus is preaching about His flesh being true food and blood being true drink. Many people couldn’t handle the saying and no longer followed Him. Jesus turned to His chosen disciples and asked if they would leave also, to which Peter confirms his faith that Jesus is Christ. The pastor pointed out in his sermon Sunday: did Jesus chase after those who were leaving? Did He modify His teaching in order to make it more comfortable for those hearing it, so they would stay and not be offended? He did not.
May all Christians have courage through the Spirit to speak boldly of the Word of God, in gentleness and in love, with our hearts focused on the glory of Christ.
” And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.”
~ Matthew 11:6
“Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.” ~ II Timothy 2:3-4
God Bless!