06/10
We Have Given
Up The Right
“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.”
Colossians 3:1–2
Colossians 3:1–2
It seems like some people go through life looking for ways to be offended. That commercial offends me. That joke a comedian told offends me. That bumper sticker is offensive to me. It is as if people are increasingly seeking out reasons to be offended and to place themselves in the position of a victim. This idea is behind the modern phenomenon of cancel culture. It's the idea that simply if a company, person, or ideology is offensive to even a small group of people, then that message or person needs to not only be censored, but canceled completely as a punishment for daring to say or do something that another finds distasteful.
As followers of Christ, this is not what we are called to. We are not called to be cancel warriors or social censors. In fact, as Christians, we have given up the right to live offended, or as a victim, because living in continual offense is to live your life putting up walls around you. A life of offense is not a life of victory. A life of offense is not a life of making a kingdom impact or having influence over those who have offended you. Eventually, if you choose offense, you will move towards living a secluded, insulated, and isolated life. The only thing we should be offended at is sin and the consequences of it, yet even still, we do not set our minds on sin or on anything that comes from this earth. Colossians chapter 3 tells us that we set our minds on things above instead of earthly, temporal things. What does this mean? It means that we think about, dwell on and act on only things that have an eternal impact; things that show up in heaven. A mind continually looking for ways to be offended or victimized is a mind that is not set on heavenly things. Think about this in your own life. Is this an area that you need to have a transformed and reviewed mind in, to set your mind on things above and not get caught up in the offense of daily culture?
As followers of Christ, this is not what we are called to. We are not called to be cancel warriors or social censors. In fact, as Christians, we have given up the right to live offended, or as a victim, because living in continual offense is to live your life putting up walls around you. A life of offense is not a life of victory. A life of offense is not a life of making a kingdom impact or having influence over those who have offended you. Eventually, if you choose offense, you will move towards living a secluded, insulated, and isolated life. The only thing we should be offended at is sin and the consequences of it, yet even still, we do not set our minds on sin or on anything that comes from this earth. Colossians chapter 3 tells us that we set our minds on things above instead of earthly, temporal things. What does this mean? It means that we think about, dwell on and act on only things that have an eternal impact; things that show up in heaven. A mind continually looking for ways to be offended or victimized is a mind that is not set on heavenly things. Think about this in your own life. Is this an area that you need to have a transformed and reviewed mind in, to set your mind on things above and not get caught up in the offense of daily culture?
BLOG
Click the link below to access the blog post on how to overlook offense by looking at God instead.