Opinions

Proverbs 18:2

Opinions are “a dime a dozen.” That’s why everyone’s got one about everything. “Go to Big Mart so you can get the best prices.” “No, go to the specialty shops where there’s more selection and better quality.” “This President’s doing a good job.” “This President should resign.” “Ford makes the best trucks.” “Chevy trucks are superior.” “Dodge Ram offers more for the money.”

There are two major problems with opinions. First, they are set on a narrow base of knowledge and are highly influenced by preferences. That narrow base is the opiner’s accumulated life experience, be it formal education, information from numerous sources, personal interactions, family history, etc. All of these influence the formation of an individual’s opinion on any matter.

Naaman had an opinion about how the prophet should heal him (2 Kings 5:11). Nathanael thought Nazareth was totally corrupt (John 1:46). The church at Laodicea thought they were doing just fine (Revelation 3:17). None of them were right!

The second problem with opinions is that, over time, a person tends to start seeing them as fact. They move from the “this is my opinion about that” column to the “indisputable fact” column. This makes it much more difficult to adjust one’s view of something or even change it altogether. For example, if brother Smith has made declarations and assertions about the indwelling of the Holy Spirit which he sees as “gospel truth,” how difficult is it for him when brother Jones presents an argument or scripture which brother Smith has never considered? This is where discussion ceases and arguments and other problems begin. How much better to say: “This is my position on this matter right now based upon what I know”?

As our scripture reveals, too many people these days are not interested in real understanding or the whole truth, but just want to express their own mind. Opinions have their place, but wisdom and understanding are what we all need (Proverbs 3:13).