Opinions

I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a time like these days where social media has flooded our lives with opinions. And if I’m honest, even though they claim to be impartial, it sure seems to me that even network news has more opinions than facts. Right wing.  Left wing.  So many people think they know so much and over time many of these opinions are proved wrong. 

We need to let truth guide us and be careful about opinions we hold and for sure, about opinions we share with others.  God’s word encourages us to think twice about sharing our opinions. 

Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions.

Proverb 18:2

It’s not wrong to have an opinion.  We all need to think and wonder about things and form our thoughts around God’s truth, but we all need to remember that we are on a journey in our minds as well as in every other area of our life. 

We are being transformed and that means that some of the opinions we hold today may not be those we hold at a later date.  We are meant to learn as we go and to allow God to change our perspective until we get things right.

Don’t live the way this world lives. Let your way of thinking be completely changed. Then you will be able to test what God wants for you and you will agree that what he wants is right. His plan is good and pleasing and perfect. 

Romans 12:2

The core of our thinking should be solidly based on God’s word but in many areas of life it takes time for clarity to come in how we are to respond to certain groups or issues.  Where God’s word is clear we need to be clear and change our minds if we have previously held other opinions. 

At the same time, we need to respect others wherever they are at on their journey and who might differ from us at this point. 

Let us stop judging one another. Instead, decide not to put anything in the way of a brother or sister. Don’t put anything in their way that would make them trip and fall. 

Romans 14:13

Heavenly Father, we welcome You to show us Your will today.  We know that true freedom is only found in knowing and living in Your truth.  Help us to test what is right in Your eyes and make any necessary changes to our thinking. 

Help us to give voice to our opinions with caution and allow You to bring to light whatever needs to be shown for accuracy to come out of the muddle.  We are willing to be corrected and ask for that correction to come as quickly as possible.

Give us grace to live with respect for others who differ with us in their ideas and opinions.  Amen

Well, I have a friend who regularly prays this prayer from God’s Word and it’s not a bad one for us to pray today as well:

Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips.

Psalm 141:3