Opinions are Like Butts

Yep. We all have them. Sometimes though, we just need to keep them to ourselves. I have found that as I age, my opinions become more and more like ranting and moaning than spouts of wisdom. I am really getting annoyed with myself over the fact that I feel as though I need to express my opinion just to be heard. I like to pass it off as venting, but it's really not. It's whining. I'm not a big fan of whining. For crying out loud, I am trying to break my 3 year old of the practice. It's time I break myself of the same.

The book of Proverbs is among my top 5 favorite books in all the Bible. The wisdom and teachings that lie within its pages are timeless and true. Chapter 18 verse 2 is no exception: "A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinion." Well there's a shot to the pride. When we spout off our opinions, we must think first, lest we dig ourselves a hole to lay in and then wollow in our self pity and centeredness. It's time we shift our focus from vinegar based tirades about meaningless subjects to thought provoking discussions with others about Jesus Christ.

The other key piece to this Proverb is "understanding." We must look at life through the eyes of the beholder and not down from our lofty perches. When we put ourselves on a pedestal, that is when our opinions become whining with no understanding in them. When we understand someone's position in life and begin to see it from their point of view, God begins to focus the picture on how we can reach out to them and clear the brush from the walkway so that He can knock on the door to their hearts.

Breaking out my machete,
Jesus Freak Out!