What's Your Opinion?

WHAT'S YOUR OPINION?

To have an opinion is to have a viewpoint; to have a belief about something. A person's opinion can be based on various factors: their feelings, what they've been taught, what the people they admire say, etc. Sometimes opinions are valuable and sometimes they're not. Sometimes opinions have nothing to do with right or wrong but merely preference. Then there are times when our opinions have more significance.

When you bring up the taboo subjects-politics and religion, everyone has an opinion. But what are those opinions based on; how are they formed? How accurate are they? How substantial are they? When it comes to politics, opinions can be based on rumors, feelings, what my friends think, what the news says, etc. But these sources can be biased so we can't always trust them.

The same is true when it comes to religion; everyone has their own opinion but what is it based on? How is that opinion developed? Should opinions even be involved when we're talking about God, the bible and salvation? Let's get into the subject and see what opinion we come away with.

1) Opinionated.

One definition of opinionated is to be dogmatic; fixed in how you look at things without entertaining another opinion. It can also refer to someone who seems to have an opinion about anything and everything. Have you ever known someone like this? How are people like this usually viewed by others?

Pr. 18:2, "A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions."

Some opinions are reasonable and worth listening to. Why? Because the person knows what he's talking about. Some people, however, fit more in the category of Prov. 18:2. Their opinions are not based in understanding but rather thoughts, feelings or what they've been told. Christian Standard Bible-"only wants to show off his opinions".

The right motive in sharing my opinion stems from the desire to help. The Prov. 18:2 type person shares his opinion to show off; it's about him. Sometimes he just pretends he knows what he's talking about. He'll use fancy words or speak philosophically. The irony is, though he thinks he's convincing people he's smart, he's actually doing the opposite. And if he has a circle of friends they may put up with him but they're not agreeing with him; they're seeing him in a foolish light.

A person who's opinionated interjects his opinion when no one is asking for it. He'll involve himself into conversations he's not a part of; prompting people to think or maybe even say, "who asked you"? Sometimes it's not easy to keep silent when you feel you have something to add to a conversation. But if it's unsolicited, although you'll think you're doing people a favor by interjecting your "wisdom", in reality you're turning people off.

The opinionated type of person would fall into the category of what the bible describes as a chattering fool. And Proverbs teaches that a chattering fool comes to ruin. If you feel you have something worthwhile to add, politely interject, letting them know you overheard the conversation and you think you have something valid to say if it's ok. Most people will probably allow it and will be more receptive to it if they see you're not just butting in but are politely asking permission to offer your opinion.

When a discussion is taking place, an opinionated person can feel like they always need to say something; it's uncomfortable for them to just listen. I believe this stems from either thinking he really is that smart or deep down he knows he's not but wants to be thought of that way.

So, instead of being quiet if he has nothing valuable to say, he feels he always needs to come up with something to throw into the conversation so he doesn't look so foolish just standing there in silence. Ironically, though, the opposite is true. Proverbs 17:28, "Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue."

It's better to be a person of few words; especially if you really don't know what you're talking about. And if your opinion is unsolicited, it's better to keep silent even if you do know what you're talking about. Instead, allow someone to notice your silence and ask, "so what do you think?" Then, you have the floor to share your opinion. But, don't show off, just share.

And if you don't know the topic, there's no shame in saying, "I don't have an opinion on that." Saying that can actually show how smart you really are.

2) "That's your opinion!"

"That's your opinion" is commonly thrown out there by anyone who is getting worked up with what we're saying. This happens a lot when we're talking about the bible. But the bible isn't full of opinions, it's full of truth. However, it's not easy to convince people of that. Sometimes-if we're not sure what a verse or passage is saying we can explain what we think it means.