Offended. Defined as resentful or annoyed, typically as a result of a perceived insult. Synonymous with insulted, aggrieved, hurt, wounded, disgruntled, angry, vexed and huffy (huffy? – definitely my new favorite). What if Christians are supposed to live a life where they are never offended? No more “righteous anger” or “taking a stand against x,y,z”? What if aren’t supposed to avoid immoral people like the plague and what if we aren’t supposed to be so staunchly correcting unbelievers?
Brant Hansen, author of Unoffendable: How One Change Can Make All of Life Better, suggests just this – that Christians can change hearts and grow the Kingdom by being completely unoffendable. He proposes and biblically supports a life devoid of anger – 100% zero anger. He explores this radical notion throughout his book by investigating various arguments made in support of anger – especially the church’s idea of “righteous anger” – and why the Bible never promotes any form of anger or offense.
Penned in a humorous and conversational style with 24 short, digestible chapters, Unoffendable, is a great weekend read for those looking to grow, mature, and relate more to those around them in a more Christ-like way. My favorite chapter, “I Can Worship a God Like That” shows us how the world will respond to Christ followers who get out there and love ALL of the people of the world as Christ did, rather than being repulsed by their immorality. We gain no one for the Kingdom by “taking a stand” and telling them how wrong “they” are and how right “we” are.
Other chapters such as those entitled “Idea: Let’s Punch Brant in the Face” and “Everyone’s an Idiot But Me” help us relate to Hansen and appreciate his candor and transparency. He tells us repeatedly throughout the book how he has struggled with the very ideas he proposes. At the end of each chapter, I was given a new way and new reason to set aside my instinct to get angry – even at things people encourage us to be angry about.
I’m grateful to have stumbled upon this book, and I’m hoping you “stumble” upon it also. It was a delightfully and painfully (yes, it can be both) real reminder we are to give up our “right” to anger, let things go, forgive others, and choose to live unoffendable. Why? Well, because of who God is, what He has done, and what He alone will redeem.