Letting Go of Offense

If you’ve been a pastor’s wife for very long, chances are you have had some hurtful things said to you. Sometimes it may feel as though you’re a target for people to tell you what they really think. I’ve had women criticize my clothes, my children, you name it. I even had one lady tell me that I keep my house too clean. Imagine that!

I will never understand why some people feel it’s okay to say whatever they feel like to the pastor’s wife and she is supposed to be fine with it. I’ve often thought to myself, “Honey if I talked to you the way you talk to me, you’d leave the church and never come back.” As a pastor’s wife my friend, you get it.

We must choose how to handle offense so it doesn’t handle us. Have you ever seen a duck go under water? What does it do when it comes up out of the water? Yep, you know it! It shakes the water right off it’s back. That’s what we need to do when someone says something rude or uncalled for. Refuse to own it. Don’t dwell on it. Let it go my friend. I’ve found one of the best responses to give someone is simply, “I’m sorry you feel this way.” If we try to defend ourselves, it can make matters worse. When we refuse to entertain their rudeness, it’s like throwing water on a fire.

In this video, I share a few more thoughts on what to do when someone says or does something that is offensive.

How do you handle when someone is rude or criticizes you or your family? Weigh in on this subject in the comments below!