Why did I feel offended?

From The Pastor’s Pen – By Brian Horrobin

Have you ever had a confrontation with someone and then walked away offended?

I’ll bet it has happened plenty of times, but have you ever come away from even one of those times and bothered to ask yourself, “Why did I feel offended?”

It was syndicated columnist Dear Abby who once said, “You throw a rock in among a bunch of dogs. The one that hollers got hit.”

No matter where you go, people are people and some people tend to get offended easier than others.

The trick is to make it your aim to be courteous and respectful of all people, regardless of their personality or temperament.

In return, decide that you will not allow anyone to “push your buttons” on any issue.

You may not be able to change the way people act toward you, but you can certainly change the way you react to them.

In the Bible, King Solomon had some great advice in this area.

In Proverbs 17:9 he said, “Whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends.”

Then, in Proverbs 19:11 he says this: “Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.”

So, the next time you find yourself in a situation where you have that urge to haul off and hit someone, look past the immediate conflict and seek the opportunity to promote love.

You’ll probably sleep better that night, too!

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