Personal Opinions

1 Kings 18:21 (NASB) Elijah came near to all the people and said, "How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him." But the people did not answer him a word.

"In your personal opinion" is how we begin a question to share our faith. Personal beliefs are strong. They direct our life. Our opinions guide us each day to choose the way we act and react. These thoughts are often so dominating that we assume they are right. Even by not answering Elijah, the people were sharing their choice.

Personal opinions can lead us to believe that:

*God may want us to lie sometimes.

*We don’t have to do our best at work because we’re not paid well.

*Holding a grudge against someone is okay.

*Forgiveness is what the other person must ask for.

*God is here to make me feel good.

*It’s okay to live with someone before marriage, I love them.

*Everyone will go to heaven. And countless other opinions continue on.

Often personal opinions are made up of personal desires mixed with majority rule. In the 1 Kings passage, most people worshiped multiple gods so it must be fine, the same rational works to justify many of our attitudes. Stop a minute - remember Christ told us that broad is the way to destruction. Many of our beliefs may be popular but the vast amount of popular things aren’t pointing people to the Bible or heaven.

The seven opinions I mentioned earlier are unfounded in Scripture and are wrong. God is not going to judge us by the polls of society but by His law. The Bible is easily available to us. Not knowing God’s Word is voluntary on our part. Any ignorance of the law doesn’t exempt us.

Although we all have personal opinions there is only one opinion that truly matters. That opinion is shared by God through the Bible. The words clearly show His thoughts. No matter how much we hold to our view, it must pass the test of Scripture. Any attitude or belief not in line with God’s clear teaching should be abandoned. We need to adopt the opinion of our Lord as our own. When we hesitate between two opinions, it shows we are in trouble. Focusing on another opinion other than God’s considers that it may be equal to or supercede His.

Which opinion will you choose to follow today?

Let’s make Jesus our focus, let’s choose His opinion. Give God your answer now.