I immediately noticed the crushed look on my friend’s face when she walked through my door. Only a few hours earlier, she’d been excited to share her idea about writing a Bible study for parents of addicted and incarcerated children with a ministry leader she respected and admired. The subject was personal, and she was burdened to help other parents find hope and comfort in Jesus.
But now, she sat totally defeated at my kitchen table, with tears rolling down her cheeks and plopping into her coffee. “Maybe writing that Bible study was a dumb idea,” she sniffled.
I was confused. Where was the godly confidence I had seen hours before? There was only discouragement and doubt now.
It turned out that her lunch date hadn’t shared her enthusiasm, and that had opened the door for Satan to stir up confusion. He’s always looking for a way to lead us to question what we’ve heard from God. He’d used this one person’s opinion to lead my friend away from what the Lord was calling her to do—to put pen to paper and offer hope to those hurting parents.
Over our tear-infused coffee, I reminded my friend that her original motivation to write the study was in obedience to God. He had put that desire in her heart (Psalm 37:4), and the only opinion she needed to seek on this situation was His—full stop.
The setback was temporary. After spending time with the Lord, my friend quickly regained her confidence and started doing what God had put on her heart.
Opinions. Sometimes, they’re helpful—other times, not so much.
Sometimes, we’re on the receiving end of the cutting and unsolicited ones, but other times (cringe), we are guilty of wielding the naysayer sword. Either way, God has some wisdom in His Word to help us navigate opinions (Proverbs 29:25).
The story of Job offers a rich lesson on the negative impact of misguided opinions. Job had endured tremendous loss and sorrow. Initially, his friends offered comfort. However, as time went on, each one began presenting their opinions on why they believed Job was suffering.
That’s when things took a hurtful and damaging turn, so much so that the Lord stepped in and personally rebuked the carelessness of Job’s friends (Job 42:7–10).
So what should we do with those opinions? A good rule of thumb is to seek the Lord first, always, and in all matters (1 Chronicles 16:10–11; Proverbs 8:17; Psalm 119:10).
Understanding God’s position on an issue brings discernment and helps us receive opinions with grace and wisdom. We can’t stop people from giving an opinion, but we can choose whether we’ll let that opinion stop us from obeying the Lord. Sometimes, we must let it go in one ear and out the other, as the saying goes.
Likewise, when we feel compelled to give our take on something, we should stop and ask the Lord whether our input is necessary. When we speak, we need the Holy Spirit to guide our words so that we build one another up rather than discourage. Even Jesus said only what the Father gave Him to say (John 12:49).
Ephesians 4:29 says, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (NIV). Tucking God’s Word into our hearts will help the overflow of our mouths be more encouraging and Christlike (Psalm 119:11; Luke 6:45).
The Lord doesn’t tell us to shut people and their input out altogether. Instead, wise King Solomon said: “Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end, you will be counted among the wise” (Proverbs 19:20 NIV).
We need people in our lives who will tell us the truth, even when we don’t want to hear it. Seeking opinions from people who aren’t wise and who tell us only what we want to hear is foolish and dangerous. (See Rehoboam’s story in 1 Kings 12:1–15.)
Opinions are never wasted if we let them drive us closer to Jesus to seek His face more fervently, as my friend did. God will show us the way as we filter all opinions—pleasant and unpleasant—through Him.
CHRISTINA KIMBREL serves as VL’s production manager. Once incarcerated, she now ministers hope to those held captive by their past and current circumstances while sharing the message of Christ.
