Of Thin Skins and Tender Hearts: A Biblical Response to the Age of Offense

Ah, the age of being easily offended, where even an innocuous comment can be twisted into an assault on someone's very being. Once upon a time, sticks and stones broke bones, but now, it seems words can indeed hurt you. Are we a society of shrinking violets or just thin-skinned critics? Let's dig a little deeper into this phenomenon from a Biblical perspective.

Well, the Bible tells us that the root of all this sensitivity could lie in our pride and self-centeredness. As Proverbs 13:10 says, "With arrogance comes only quarreling" Being easily offended is often a manifestation of an inflated sense of self-importance or a fragile ego that is quick to take offense when none is intended.

In the words of John Calvin, "Man's nature, so to speak, is a perpetual factory of idols." Our idolatry of self might just be the reason why we're so easily offended. We've made gods of ourselves and dare others to blaspheme.

And let's not forget that this is an age of "me, myself, and iPhone," where social media has amplified our propensity to navel-gaze. You can now literally apply a filter to your worldview!

Well, the Bible is not silent on this matter, thank heavens. Ephesians 4:2 urges believers to walk "with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love." Imagine applying that to social media debates. Posts would be fewer but far more constructive!

As Charles H. Spurgeon put it, "Humility is to make a right estimate of oneself." If we were truly humble, we'd recognize that not everything revolves around us and our feelings. No one would have the time to be offended, and boy, would Twitter be a ghost town.

To echo C.S. Lewis, "True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it's thinking of yourself less." Could the key to escaping this trap of taking offense be to shift our focus from ourselves to others, or better yet, to God?

Christ Himself offered a radical solution: "“Therefore, in all things, whatever you want people to do for you, so do for them" (Matthew 7:12). This is the Golden Rule, not a golden suggestion.

Francis Schaeffer added depth to this when he said, "Biblical orthodoxy without compassion is surely the ugliest thing in the world." Imagine how much healthier our interactions would be if we approached one another with grace, focusing on the logs in our own eyes before the specks in others'.

As James 1:19 advises us, "But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger" In the wise words of Ravi Zacharias, "A man who loves his wife will love her letters and her photographs because they speak to him about her. So if we love the Lord Jesus, we will love the Bible because it speaks to us about Him."

Let's not forget Jonah, the prophet with the complexion of a sunburned zebra after his detour through Fish University. Here’s a man so offended by God’s mercy toward Nineveh that he'd rather sulk under a plant than see people repent. His offense nearly cost an entire city their salvation. A lesson here: Our easily offended hearts can have significant consequences.

In a world awash with offense, the Biblical call is to humility, patience, and above all, love. John MacArthur reminds us, "The ultimate example of humility is Jesus Christ, who had every right to boast of His credentials but didn’t."

William Wilberforce, the great social reformer, said, "Selfishness and impatience are enemies to all our personal relationships: be always humble and patient, and the sweet flower of love will soon appear." With that mindset, maybe, just maybe, the age of being offended could be usurped by an era of understanding and love. Amen to that!

So next time you feel that righteous indignation bubbling up, remember you have two ears and one mouth for a reason. Maybe it’s time to listen twice as much as we speak. Now there's a novel concept!