Have you ever felt being in the middle of a tug-of-war of
opinions? Was there a time that you felt so confused because of the differing
opinions that are both unsolicited and unwelcome? Allow me to share a story I
came across and this might relate to your current situation: “A couple bought a donkey from the market.
On the way home, a boy commented, "Very stupid. Why neither of them rides
on the donkey?” Upon hearing that, the husband let the wife ride on the donkey.
He walked besides them. Later, an old man saw it and commented, "The
husband is the head of family. How can the wife ride on the donkey while the
husband is on foot?" Hearing this, the wife quickly got down and let the
husband ride on the donkey.
Further on the way home, they met an old Lady. She commented, "How
can the man ride on the donkey but let the wife walk. He is no gentleman."
The husband thus quickly asked the wife to join him on the donkey. Then, they
met a young man. He commented, "Poor donkey, how can you hold up the
weight of two persons. They are cruel to you." Hearing that, the husband
and wife immediately climbed down from the donkey and carried it on their
shoulders. It seems to be the only choice left. Later, on a narrow bridge, the
donkey was frightened and struggled. They lost their balance and fell into the
river.”
You can never have everyone praise you, nor will everyone
condemn you. Never in the past, not at present, and never will be in the
future. Thus, the lesson to learn is this: do not be too bothered by others' words
if our conscience is clear. Remember this common saying, “Everyone is entitled
to their own opinion” but what you will decide is what will matter the most.
Just allow them to share their opinions, write them if you can and then later
sort them all out as references only.
At the end of the day, no one can truly express accurately
and appropriately what you need except your own judgment and opinion. However,
Jesus provided that the source of what we need would come from the Holy Spirit.
When Jesus was speaking to His disciples, he pointed them to a day that the
Holy Spirit would come in His stead and conveys His will for us. John 16:13, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will
guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but
whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are
to come.” In other words, even the Holy Spirit’s opinion is aligned with
Jesus’ revealed will and words. If this is the case, then we need to be aligned
with Him to supply us with God’s word that will make a huge impact in every
circumstance.
By establishing the suitable boundaries as to the opinions
that come our way, we will be sure that the appropriate ones will be counted as
worthy for consideration. Many people will always share a “piece of their mind”
that will either help or add confusion. Always have a weighing scale to balance
them out and compare with what the Holy Spirit will confirm. In the end, one
opinion must stand above all others and with this in mind will come the real
“peace of mind.”
What we really need is not an opinion but a sure word. The
book of Proverbs provides a clear example of it:
·
Proverbs 15:23, “To make an apt answer is a joy to a
man, and a word in season, how good it is!”
·
Proverbs 25:11, “A word fitly spoken is like apples of
gold in a setting of silver.”
Altogether, it is God’s word that we firmly need the most to
guide us in our journey of life towards clarity of purpose and destiny. Moreover,
when we stop and listen to many opinions of men from the media, our friends,
our family and others, it will be surely biased based on their own perspective
and experiences. That’s why, depend on what God has stated in His words and you
will be settled completely in perfect peace.
Let’s talk again!
