Excuse Me (a Five Minute Friday Link-Up)

We have become an overly offendable society.  I had to make up a word to express this opinion.  “Offendable” if not in the dictionary, but that is most certainly what we are.  In the last couple of years, we have expanded our definition of what is “offensive” to include how others vote, shop, parent, and view historical designations.  While we tout tolerance and acceptance of other lifestyles as a pillar of civilized community, our patience with people ascribing to different ideals is at an all-time low.

A few months ago I read the book Unoffendable: How Just One Change Can Make All of Life Better by Brant Hansen.  In this easy to read proposal, Hansen challenges the idea that we are entitled to get offended or stay angry.  He even questions whether there is such a thing as “righteous anger”.  Of course Jesus was righteously angry, but He was sinless.  This begs the question, “Is it possible for a sinful person to be angry without sin?”  Colossians 3:8 commands, “But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these:  anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.”  Anger has no place with us.

Here are some other verses on anger:

“‘In your anger do not sin’:  Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.”  Ephesians 4:26-27

“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this:  Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.”  James 1:19-20

“Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end.”  Proverbs 29:11

“A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense.”  Proverbs 19:11

“Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools.”  Ecclesiastes 7:9

I am joining Kate Motaung and other members of the Five Minute Friday community  for our weekly writing adventure. To learn about Five Minute Friday, click here. This week’s prompt is, “Excuse.”