Dear LORD,
“Teach me to pray so that others will know your will.”
“Teach M***** to be more like you because right now s/he isn’t behaving righteously.”
“Teach my father/mother/brother/sister that I am right and they are wrong about ******.”
BUT GOD
In our prayers, in our walk, GOD doesn’t need our opinions. Our opinion is not required!
We are an opinionated lot, we human beings. And nowadays, with social media, we freely have the “right” to our opinions and the expression of them. Even the mainstream media outlets are full of editorial opinions which are expressed more than fact-based journalism … or at least that is my opinion (irony intentioned).
What does the LORD say in His Word about opinions?:
Romans 12:5 ends with “…. do not be wise in your own opinion.” I suspect that is not a frequently taught principle, neither inside nor outside the church.
“DO NOT BE WISE IN YOUR OWN OPINION”
This I believe is a word for today. For us. For you and for me.
I learned a while back that my opinion can get me into trouble: it leads me to judge, it leads me to close-mindedness, it leads me to relational breakdown. And what does it yield? Only a release of exasperation. That’s just my flesh! And I suspect it is the same for others of us… but that’s just my opinion. This conclusion is born from personal experience, but still it is only an opinion.
Walking away from the Word of GOD, society in the West has lost its compass. This habit of freely (and can I say sometimes: thoughtlessly and disrespectfully) expressing our opinion is a part of it.
I encourage us not to be wise in our own opinions but to “study the Word” and allow it to sharpen us (Hebrews 4:12)… and allow us to dwell peaceably with all men.
Dear LORD,
“Teach me to be more like you, to know your word and to live it out, by the power of Holy Spirit in me.”
In Jesus’ name, Amen.