by Graham Mol
One thing that you will not find in this age of ubiquitous social media is a lack of opinions. They are everywhere, on news articles, Youtube videos, Facebook posts, comments at the workplace, that lengthy rant when you asked (and regretted asking) what someone thought about an issue. Don’t get me wrong, it is good to think about and have an opinion about matters, but what seems to be the case is that “everyone” is now an “expert” on every matter.
The deeper issue regarding the multitude of opinions can be seen in how everyone is insistent that their opinion is what matters most. There is an element of pride as people criticise, stating just how they would do things differently, or resort to bullying those who do not share their views. You get a sense of the discontentment people are experiencing as they react to the things of life, very often giving an opinion on things that, if they were honest, they know nothing about. This is not a pleasant way to live.
The comments on pride by Charles Spurgeon, a Baptist preacher from the 1800s are still relevant to the situation we find today as he says:
This pride very often leads to haughtiness, domineering ways towards others, and contempt of them, as if they were not as good as we are; and if we see any errors and mistakes in them we conclude that they are very foolish, and that we should act much better if we were in their position. If they act nobly and well, this same pride of ours leads us to pick holes in them, and to detract from their excellence; and if we cannot get up as high as they are, we try to pull them down to our own level. This is a base thing to do, but the proud man is always mean, loftiness of looks and meanness of heart run in a leash like a couple of hounds.
In contrast to this we find a simple psalm written by David. In it is a very different philosophy, that is a way of thinking, than we find in the world today.
Psalm 131
1 My heart is not proud, Lord,
my eyes are not haughty;
I do not concern myself with great matters
or things too wonderful for me.
2 But I have calmed and quieted myself,
I am like a weaned child with its mother;
like a weaned child I am content.
3 Israel, put your hope in the Lord
both now and forevermore.
How many of us experience the kind of contentment that David describes in his image of the child with his mother? Rather than trying ever so hard to make our own voices heard on every issue, let us rather listen for God’s voice and trust in His unfailing ways. For He is the source of our contentment and hope. Now and forevermore.
God Bless
Graham
Thanks Graham. So well written and so true. Opinions are made up of words…and we should always seek to guard our words.😉
“For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”
Matthew 12:37
That is a very good point Caryl!