Do We Actually Have One?
Have you ever scrolled through social media, seen something mildly controversial, and thought, “Oh no… here we go…” to the point were you felt it necessary to give that person a piece of your mind? If so, congratulations—you’ve witnessed modern-day offense culture in action. In fact, according to Pew Research (because stats make everything sound smarter), about 62% of Americans believe that people being too easily offended by what others say (not even do) is a major problem. And honestly? They might be onto something. Should we assume a right to offense?
That brings us to our podcast episode, where we dive into Brant Hansen’s book Unoffendable—a delightful little reality check wrapped in humor and biblical wisdom. TL;DR Hansen makes a pretty radical claim—as believers, we don’t actually have the right to offense.
But… What About Righteous Anger?
Ah yes, the favorite loophole. “But what if my anger is righteous? Surely, I’m allowed to be offended then, right?” Well, here’s the thing—righteous anger is a tricky business. Hansen argues that only God is truly righteous, so when we claim “righteous anger,” we’re essentially putting ourselves in His seat. Proverbs 6:16-19 lays out a nice little list of things God hates, and what’s the grand finale of that list? Sowing discord.
A.k.a. the biblical version of Facebook comment wars.
If our so-called righteous anger leads to division, slander, and overall chaos, then maybe—just maybe—it’s not actually righteous. And honestly, holding onto offense isn’t doing us any favors anyway.
What Your Right to Offense Really Costing You?
Okay, let’s set theology aside for a second and talk cold, hard science. Studies (like the one from Johns Hopkins Hospital) show that chronic anger throws your body into fight-or-flight mode, messing with your heart rate, blood pressure, and immune system. In the long run, it can contribute to depression, heart disease, and even diabetes.
Meanwhile, forgiveness? It lowers stress levels and improves overall health. So yeah, maybe Jesus was onto something when He told us to let stuff go.
Practical Steps to Becoming Unoffendable
If you’re reading this and thinking, “Fine, I get it. But how do I actually stop being so easily offended?”—we got you.
1. Replace anger with gratitude – Instead of stewing over how wrong someone is, focus on what you can be thankful for. Example: “Wow, I’m thankful I’m not as easily offended as this person.” (Okay, maybe not like that.)
2. Embrace forgiveness – Not for them. For you. You don’t even have to keep toxic people in your life, but releasing offense is for your peace, not their benefit.
3. Adjust your expectations – People will be people. They will say dumb things. They will do dumb things. Instead of being shocked every time, expect it.
4. Stop just condemning culture – We’re great at calling out what’s wrong, but how about putting equal energy into showing what’s right?
Real-Life “Unoffendable” Moments
We’ve had our own hallmark moments of offense. Like that time in the furniture store when—well, you’ll have to listen to the episode for the full story. Rarer still, are our moments of unoffendability like when Ben decided that instead of harboring anger, he’d just wash some dishes or when Liz decided to pray for someone who just flat out didn’t like her.
Look, at the end of the day, we can either cling to offense or walk in freedom. One keeps us bitter, stressed, and exhausted. The other? Brings peace, joy, and a whole lot less heartburn.
So, if you’re ready to let go of your right to offense (or at least consider it), check out our latest episode. You might just find that life is a whole lot lighter when you stop carrying around offense like a backpack full of bricks.
🎧 Listen to the full episode now!
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