Being offended is not inevitable

We live on a planet populated by several billion people, and at least one of those individuals is undoubtedly going to do or say something that could offend us big-time.

Could offend, not will. Being offended is not inevitable. A person can’t “push our buttons” and force us to spend time seething angrily inside if we don’t make a “hot button” available for pushing. How is this possible, though—to not be offended?

There is a grace, you could say, to doing it. The Founder of Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy, says right toward the beginning of her book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, “What we most need is the prayer of fervent desire for growth in grace, expressed in patience, meekness, love, and good deeds” (p. 4). This kind of grace is not about suppressing emotions or ignoring issues that need to be handled. And it’s not simply a passive, “chill” state of mind. Grace is a spiritual quality that comes from God, which we can welcome into all our thoughts and actions. “Patience, meekness, love, and good deeds” are some of the natural results of practicing grace.