For everything there is a
season, and a time for every activity under heaven. A time to tear, and
a time to mend; a time to be silent, and a time to speak. A time to
love, and a time to hate: a time for war, and a time for peace.
––Ecclesiastes 3:1, 7-8
Offense is rampant today. Everywhere we turn someone’s in an uproar about some controversy. Ever noticed—especially on social media—how Christians get riled about something, boycott/protest, and then move on to the next offensive thing (seemingly forgetting about the last horrible thing they were offended about)? It’s a cycle: React. Emote. Repeat.
Is there a place for righteous anger in the church? For sure. We all know Jesus rebuked the Pharisees, turned over the tables of the moneychangers, etc. As Solomon says in Ecclesiastes 3, there is a time to be silent and a time to speak up about affronts to Jesus and His kingdom.
But it’s also a matter of priorities. Satan will do anything to distract us from the main thing, which is sharing the good news of Jesus with those who do not yet know Him. So if we are constantly in reactive mode, offended by the bad stuff the world does, what happens to the “main thing” we are called to focus on? I get it: heresy is rampant, and the media openly mocks Christianity. But think about it: why do we expect the unredeemed world to act redeemed? It’s a matter of expectations. It’s like expecting your toddler to sit still and quietly enjoy an eight-hour car ride. Wrong expectation equals warped view of reality.
As God’s men we keep realistic expectations of the world. John tells us that Jesus is the Word, and that “found life in him, and the life was the light of the human race. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has been unable to overcome it.” (John 1:4-5, NCB). The NIV says the darkness did not “overcome it.” Either way, because we have the light (Jesus), we need to understand that those who do not cannot possibly comprehend Him. Light dispels darkness, not the other way around.
So what does this have to do with getting offended by the world? A lot. Just as we don’t expect a newborn child to speak in full sentences, we cannot expect those who do not have the light to understand it. Once we grasp this, we become way less susceptible to being triggered by the world. As well, the more surrendered we are in our walk with Christ, the more impervious we become to the world’s offenses. This is not the same as becoming soft to sin or callous to heresy—it’s about setting and keeping the right priorities at the right time for the right reasons.
There’s a time for vocal outcry, but let’s not make it a higher priority than praying for and actively loving on the folks still lost in darkness. After all, they’re the mission field. Yes, even the very folks who offend us!
