Living an Unoffendable Life Through Love
In the hustle and bustle of our daily lives, it’s astounding how many opportunities we encounter to be offended. Whether it’s the news that stirs our anger, disagreements with neighbors, frustrating traffic, or even seemingly trivial matters like self-checkouts, the potential for offense is ever-present. Making a small change to be unoffendable can drastically improve our lives and transform our relationships.
Defining Offense
Before delving deeper into this transformative journey, it's essential to define what we mean by “offense.” In this context, “offense” refers to the annoyance or resentment triggered by a perceived insult to oneself or a disregard for one's standards or principles. It’s important to note that some experiences, like abuse, go beyond mere offense, and we should never condone or remain in abusive situations.
Unconditional Love & an Unoffendable Life
The core message of this journey is that experiencing unconditional love leads to living an unoffendable life, and conversely, a lack of love results in a life marked by constant offense.
Unconditional love, as exemplified by 1 Corinthians 13, is a challenging concept to grasp fully. This chapter is often cited at weddings and seems like a simple, feel-good message about love. However, its depth and counter-cultural nature become apparent upon closer examination.
Paul's Message to the Corinthians
Paul's letter to the Corinthians addresses various issues within their church community. He emphasizes the importance of using spiritual gifts for service rather than personal glorification. In 1 Corinthians 12:31b, he hints at a more excellent way, setting the stage for his profound message on love.
1 Corinthians 13:1–3 underscore that even possessing extraordinary gifts or performing admirable acts means nothing without love. This aligns with Jesus' teachings about the greatest commandments: loving God and loving one's neighbor.
The Characteristics of Love
Paul's description of love in 1 Corinthians 13:4–8a provides a comprehensive guide on what love does and does not entail.
A Litmus Test for Offense
To gauge whether we are trending towards offering love or living in offense, we can ask ourselves three essential questions:
Am I walking in humility?
Patience and kindness are at the core of love. Offended people tend to be impatient and unkind, often judging others by their actions and themselves by their intentions.
Am I making this about me?
Love does not dishonor others, is not self-seeking, and does not keep records of wrongs. Offended individuals often commodify people, nitpicking and seeking offense.
Am I trusting that God is in control?
Love rejoices in truth, always protects, trusts, hopes, and perseveres. Offended people tend to focus on external battles and may avoid confronting evil personally.
Experiencing Unconditional Love
To live an unoffendable life, we must first experience unconditional love. As 1 John 4:19 reminds us, “We love because he first loved us.” The love described in 1 Corinthians 13 is embodied in Jesus, and it’s a love for us to experience.
Recognizing our flaws and selfishness and yet being loved unconditionally by God is a transformative experience. It enables us to extend that love to others, even those who may offend us.
Living in Proximity & Changing Your Posture
In closing, we are challenged to get in proximity to those we find offensive and ask God to change our posture toward them. This challenge isn’t about becoming passive or ignoring justice and morality; it's about being radical in love. Living in a constant state of offense is easy but harmful. Radical, unoffendable love, on the other hand, is transformative and risky.
Let's remember that as followers of Christ, our mission is to bring hope to the world, not through programs or preaching but by our love. As Jesus said in John 13:34–35, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
In a world filled with offense and division, let us be known for our radical and unoffendable love.
Blog adapted from September 24, 2023 message by Minister Alex Ehly
