The Power Of Not Being Offended
By Bishop Tony Rivera
“I’d rather live next door to a drug dealer than a Christian.” Have you heard this or something similar? When I over heard someone say this my first thought was, ’This person has no idea of Christianity.’ My second thought, ’How many people feel this way?’ and then, ‘why?’ I believe this person spoke out of anger and not hatred.
I’m not going to address issues to defend Christianity here. What I’m going to address is how to prevent people from feeling anger and even hatred toward Christianity. The Bible teaches not to be offensive and not to be offended. People do not hate without reason.
I met a man who told me, “I don’t like Christians because Jimmy Swaggart got caught with a prostitute. Christians are such hypocrites.”
My response, “I don’t like the secularists because of Jeffery Dalhmer, Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy, The BTK bomber … should I go on?”
He understood right then how ridiculous his reasoning was. I didn’t argue with him, I changed his mind. However, I could tell his mind was now searching for another reason to disdain Christians and Christianity.
Jesus said, “They will hate you because they hated me first.” Live with it, build a bridge and get over it; we are going to be hated. So let’s make the most of it and turn the table on those who hate us and bring them into the Kingdom; to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
Their mind is a data base of reasons for distain, and you won’t get anywhere sifting and arguing though it. You have to show them over time. Reasoning with them is just more reason for them to argue and believe their own point of view. They have to see and witness the miracle working power of Christ in you. So the more we allow God to work in our lives the more they will believe.
When someone says something offensive about Christianity, don’t be so offended. Be prepared to turn the table and use it as an opportunity to bring them a step closer into the Kingdom. And when they see that you cannot be offended, oh, they’re going to want that power too. Never underestimate the power of not being offended, it is one of our most powerful weapons.
Without Christ people have a need to know why they are here, on this earth, in this life. We have to show them when talk only adds fuel to their anger. And the best way is to be as Christ like as we can. My experience has been, drug addicts are easier to reach than a secularist or those who just think they know about Christianity. But we can still reach them.
