Faith along the way

I’ve been thinking a lot about the topic of opinions lately. We hear the constant clamor of outrage and dissatisfaction of people wanting their own way, furious when they don’t get their own way, and the complete disregard of the rights and opinions of others. It seems we can’t even have a conversation with another person because they aren’t listening to us, they are waiting to insert their own opinion, completely disregarding what you are saying. The art of listening has long gone to the wayside and forget about “agreeing to disagree”…that ship has sailed.

I’m not saying I don’t have strong opinions, because I do. Sometimes I’m also lacking in the listening area. I’m human and therefore fallible, as we all are. Opinions are subject to our own personal views and the way we see things. Opinions are also subject to change at any given moment. Dictionary.com defines opinion as “a belief or judgment that rests on grounds insufficient to produce complete certainty”. A few synonyms would be:

• assessment
• assumption
• attitude
• feeling
• point of view
• impression
• judgment
• speculation
• thought
• reaction

All the above listed synonyms are subject to how we feel or respond on any given day.

It has me thinking about The One who is infallible, and that is the Lord God Almighty. He is the One who never changes, is all-knowing, who is complete and absolute truth. His Word is truth. His Word should be what we base our opinions on, what we base our beliefs on. Hebrews 4:12 tells us that the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, pierces to the division of soul and spirit, and also discerns the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Matthew 4:4 tells us that man should not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 tells us that all Scripture is God-breathed, that it is profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, training in righteousness, and equips us for every good work. John 17:17 reminds us that His word is truth. I encourage you to look up these Scriptures and read them for yourself.

We are going to have opinions, things like dark chocolate tastes better than milk chocolate (really, does any chocolate taste bad…ha-ha), this diet produces more results than that diet, social media is great, or social media is detrimental, summer is better than winter, or whether noodles belong in chili or not…I could go on and on. The bottom line for me is that my beliefs regarding how I live, my idea of truth, my attitude, my judgments, my viewpoints, and my actions should all be based on the infallible, unerring Word of God. His Word sets the mark, is the standard by which I should live. His Word defines truth. His Word is truth. His Word is the ground that produces complete certainty. When we seek His Word, and His way, we are on the solid ground of certainty.

God bless you as you strive to walk along the way,

Jackie