Part One: Why So Offended?

“A person’s discretion makes him slow to anger, And it is his glory to overlook an offense.” Proverbs 19:11

My church has about 400 members. In a church that size, it’s easy to overlook people when you don’t talk to them every week.

Last week I got to thinking about a man I know well who I haven’t seen in a while. I sent him a text to let him know I was thinking about him, but I got no reply. I asked our head usher, Dave, if he knew what happened to this man.

“Oh, he’s gone. He left.” Dave rolled his eyes in a way that indicated this was nothing new.

“Something offended him, and he left. He’s done this before. He’ll probably be back when he calms down about it.”

I thought about that for a while. Then I thought about other people who I’ve known that have left a church, including me in the past.

As a matter of fact, I once got offended and left the very church I now attend and love! My frustration had to do with some of the holiday customs and teachings of the church.

What brought me back to church? In prayer, God showed me that my issues were really not a hill worth dying on. He also taught me that I needed to be able to articulate my position with people, rather than just leave in a huff.

There is no perfect Pastor or church. The best Pastor is still a sinner, who is trying his best to lead a congregation of sinners through a sinful world, with Satan breathing down his back. Tough job.

God taught me that my Pastor and church leadership needs my prayers, not my scorn and judgment over trivial things.

Are you offended by something in your church? Before you storm out the door, pray about it for a week. Ask God to show you anything you might be missing, and if the offense is really worth your time and focus.

Your church issue may be trivial, or it may be serious, but it certainly needs to be approached in a wise, mature, and discerning manner.