Offenses are inevitable. Hardening is not.
When we’ve been hurt, self-protection can feel like wisdom. We build walls, distance ourselves, and determine that no one will ever hurt us that way again.
But Scripture reveals a sobering possibility: what begins as self-protection can eventually become spiritual petrification.
In this episode of Monday Mindset Reset, Dr. Denise Pass continues Getting to the Roots of Offense by examining how a heart becomes hardened—and how Christ enables us to remain tender toward God even after we’ve been wounded.
Zechariah 7 describes a progression: God’s people refused to pay attention, turned a stubborn shoulder, stopped their ears, and eventually made their hearts “diamond-hard.” The heart that was supposed to receive God’s truth became resistant to it.
But that’s not where the biblical story ends.
God promises in Ezekiel 36:26:
“I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”
In this episode, you’ll discover: How offenses can progressively harden the heart Why fearing God helps free us from the culture of offense What Zechariah’s “diamond-hard” heart teaches us about spiritual resistance Why self-protection can become a barrier to both God and others How to distinguish healthy boundaries from hardened walls Why forgiveness does not require indiscriminate trust How Jesus modeled both a soft heart and wise discernment Why our identity does not have to be defined by how others treat us How the mind of Christ transforms the way we respond to offense
Being hurt does not mean you are destined to hurt others. But pain that remains unexamined can begin shaping how we think, love, trust, and respond.
And Jesus shows us another way.
A soft heart is not naïve—it is surrendered.
He is our Defender. We can love—even when wisdom requires us to love from a distance.
Key Scriptures
Proverbs 28:13–14 • Zechariah 7:9–12 • Ezekiel 36:26 • Proverbs 4:23 • Psalm 18:2–3 • 1 Corinthians 6:7 • John 2:24–25
Connect with Dr. Denise Pass
🌐 denisepass.com 📘 Facebook: @deniseduboispass 📸 Instagram: @thedenisepass 🎵 TikTok: @Dr..denise.pass ▶️ YouTube: @DenisePass-SeeingDeep
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Monday Mindset Reset — helping you overcome the battles of the mind with the Word of God…one renewed thought at a time.