Offense isn't a sin

A few months ago I started a new job that I was THRILLED ABOUT. Dream job. I made it a total of 70 days. When I started my job I was fully committed, all in, boots to the ground running. I had a vision and focus.

What I missed though when I started this new job? Temperance. Despite my vision, I wasn’t in a temperate environment open to accepting the changes suggested. I couldn’t win. My ideas and vision were brilliant but they weren’t received.

I was surrounded by offense. It hit me after day 40 that offense isn’t anything new and we can all learn from our offenses. If we take offense to something we need to see what it’s rooted in. Is our offense rooted in self-doubt? Is it rooted in insecurity? Is it rooted in our fear of change?

Do you know what happens when someone gets offended? Nothing. Not a thing. People can be offended but that doesn’t change the state of the union; no ill falls upon someone if they are offended by another. Literally nothing happens except the ability to hold a grudge against another.

As a bible believer and Jesus follower I’ve had to take time to ponder what it means to cause offense and where my convictions rest. I’ve come to the following conclusion: someone being offended by you is not the same thing as leading them to a path of darkness. I’m actually ok with people being offended by me - that means I’ve offered or provided an idea that is different than their current belief system. Jesus offended plenty of people. Jesus STILL offends people because His truth isn’t comfortable; true love isn’t always comfortable but it does cause us to grow.

That’s the key learning moment. Offense is just another opportunity to grow.