Here’s What I Think?

Opinions… We all have them. We all think that what we have to say on any matter is written in stone and consider it the gospel truth. But in all actuality, what we think isn’t what needs to be heard.

My heart has been burdened and convicted about this very subject lately. This morning, I want to share with you what the Lord has shown me on what He thinks about my opinion.

Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:

James 1:19

Ouch! I’ll be honest.. I think my opinion needs to be heard. Don’t we all? That’s why we talk to others about what they should do or how they need to handle a matter. Or we talk to others about how so and so should do this or that. God isn’t too keen on this matter and lets us know that we are being busybodies.

As long as sin has reigned in our world there has been this issue of opinions. The serpent came to Eve with his deceitful opinion (Genesis 3). She listened to him and then made that opinion her own and took it to her husband. You see how it works, it originated from evil. The serpent knew if he could get Adam to form his own opinion against what God said, he could trap him into falling. This trapping resulted into the very thing that satan fell from Heaven for-Pride.

Pride, it’s such an ugly word. None of us that are saved want to be filled with it. We want to be humble and lowly of spirit, but I’m afraid we all are guilty of letting it grasp us when we think what we have to say matters.

In our Scripture here, James is telling us let every man be…… He isn’t excluding anyone. So that means you and I. (Please know that I am under so much conviction as I type this. I am trying to be careful and let only the words of the Spirit lead me.) There are some things we need to be if we are to stay like 1 Peter 3:4 “even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which in the sight of God is great price.” We are to be peaceable, humble, mild, keeping one’s seat. We aren’t to be rash with our words. Nor are we to be quick to spew out our whole mind. Ecclesiastes 5:2 says “Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.” We have to remember Whose we are. Every single one of us that have been bought with the Precious Blood of Christ are not our own. He is our God and we are to let our words be few and let them be His. His Words speak so much louder than ours. So let Him speak for you.

Our Scripture here is telling us there are some things we need to be swift to do. We better be quick to it. I taught my girls instant obedience and I meant it. I cannot expect more of them than I am willing to give of myself. God commands me in His Word to FIRST be swift to HEAR. What am I to listen to? Not gossip, not the lies of the devil. (We see where that got Adam and Eve), not the opinions of others but to God and His Word. What I listen to effects my heart. If I am listening to the opinions of others all the time, then I will follow their advice. If I am listening to the ways of the world then I will be worldly minded and not spiritually minded. To hear means to give audience to. What I give audience to will become what takes center stage in my heart. Listen to the Lord and His Voice alone. He speaks through His Word, through His Man and through His Servant. They never, ever go contrary to His Word-EVER. Our opinions and what others have to say should always line up with His Word as well.

Being slow to speak is a hard one for me. Ugh!!! I think I have to tell what I am feeling. The Lord has been working on me. I long to be wise with my words and opinions. In Proverbs 10:19 “In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.” I have learned the more I talk about how I feel about a matter, the more the flesh comes out and I sin. I don’t want this to be who I am known for-A woman of many opinions. No I want to be known of a woman who speaks life and gives the Word of the Lord. Proverbs 18:21a “Death and life are in the power of the tongue:” I heard a Preacher say one time that the reason death comes before life in this verse is because our sinful flesh will always speak what we think, but we have to choose what is good and what is holy and that is where our true power comes from. Be slow to speak…we don’t have to tell how we feel about a matter.

Do you ever like me get angry when you see someone sin differently that you do? Oh I have something to say on that matter-Let me tell you why that is wrong. Let me show you from God’s Word why you shouldn’t be doing or partaking of THAT sin. Haha ok be honest, we all have that self-righteousness(pride) rise up in us every once in a while. We all form this opinion of ourselves that we are so spiritual that no one can measure up to us. I am a stay at home wife, I homeschooled my daughters. Does this allow me the right to have the opinion that I am better that a mom who works or sends her children to school? No, I will not stand before the Lord to answer for how my sister is living her life, but I will stand before Him for how I voiced MY opinions or MY standards on her. James tells us to be slow to anger, why? Because “For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.” How can our opinions be righteous if they are filled with anger or pride that we are better than so and so? They aren’t my friend. None of us have the right to judge or condemn how God is growing each of us to His image. My Sunday school teacher mentioned a verse and it has stuck out to me all week. 1 Corinthians 10:23 “All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.” He said that there are some things in my life that you may look at and think aren’t right, and I can do the same with yours. Our personal standards are different from one another. But what it all comes down to is this…Every single day are you edifying Christ? Is your life and your standards bringing Him glory? If not, check yourself. It’s not what so and so says, it’s what God’s Word says.

My sister, let’s be careful. We all have opinions. We all want to be heard. At the end of the day what really matters is if what we have to say brings glory to God and not our pride.