My New View on Being Affronted

My New View on Being Affronted

When another person offends me, I should not actually be offended. I shouldn’t have a reaction of offense because it is not I that they are in fact offending.  Even if someone consciously attempts to offend me, I should still not be insulted.  When we are involved in a situation that causes affront, other than basic miscommunication, that situation is simple disobedience.  It is rebellion.

 

I know that this may seem a bit out of place but I am a “big picture” person and tend to think in the realm of the existential and ethereal.  With that said, I can now relate to how I have come to have my new point of view.  I long for the compass of my morality and emotions to find its origin only in Scripture.  As such, we are to be at peace with our fellow man.  Just examining New Testament, we see that we are commanded to be at peace with our situations, our family, our fellow believers and even our enemies (Matthew 5:9, Hebrews 12:14, 2 Tim 2:22, 2 Thess 3:16, 1 Th 5:13, Col 3:15, Col 1:20, Phil 4:7, Eph 2:14, Gal 5:22, 2 Cor 13:11, 1 Cor 14:33, Rom 15:33, Rom 14:17-19, Rom 8:6, Rom 5:1, John 16:33, John 14:27, Mark 9:50).

 

So when we take personal offense to something it is our flesh, our humanity that feels this injustice.  I’m not speaking of being offended on the account of God.  Jesus was filled with righteous anger and chased the moneychangers from the temple because he was offended on behalf of God.  In Numbers 25:6-13, Phineas is offended at the disrespect shown to God and destroys kills two people because of their act of sin.  It is when we take it personally, that we find ourselves in rebellion.

 

I know it seems difficult to view being offended as a state of rebellion.  In fact, some of your may be tempted to stop reading at this very point, but I ask that you please hear me out.  When we are commanded to be at peace, how do we justify in any way not being in the state that we are commanded to be in?  Our flesh rebels against loving God and loving others, because those are what require us to be Holy.  Our sin nature rages against its inevitable demise.

 

It is not myself that someone seeks to offend but Christ.  I am not being rebelled against, Christ is.  So do not take affront and be exceedingly meek, merciful, and forgiving. Listen to insult without retaliation. Let no bitterness indwell within you but rather let grace take root and flourish.  In the midst of any persecution, rest in the sovereignty of Almighty God; and know fully well that discipline belongs to the righteous judge.

 

Forgive others so that we may find our own forgiveness.  I am dead, Christ lives in me and any anger I have need only be of the righteous sort.  Let us not be guilty of the blood of our fellow man by harboring hate in our hearts. Never let us slander, gossip, or find ourselves in any semblance of the unbeliever.  But instead, be a peacemaker and abide in love.  Be aware of our prideful nature.  Do not let yourself be too proud to accept rebuke because even our enemies can be used by God to point out truth.

 

Let us find encouragement in God and that He is using all people and all things to glorify Himself.  Meekness, mercy, and humility are ours to have.  Judgment, retribution, and salvation belong to God.  That is all we need to know in regards in any situation.