More Love, Less Opinion

As I scrolled through my social media timeline recently I started noticing the overwhelming amount of criticism that was present there. Article after article describing someone who was against someone else – one cause against another cause – one opinion against another opinion.

We love giving our opinions. We love the fight, the argument, the lines in the sand, the scrap, the showdown – I know this, because I’m guilty of it myself. In fact, as badly as I try to craft this article with truth rather than my opinion, it subtly pries it’s way into my words.

We love to show people they are wrong and we are right – that’s a tough statement, but it’s true.

Let me show you what I mean real fast:

True or False.. do you get satisfaction out of winning an argument?

If you’re a human than I bet you answered “true”.

I know I do. I think we all do. And that is part of the problem, because giving our opinions and boycotting isn’t exactly what we are primarily called to do as Christians. As Christians our primary responsibility is to love, serve, pray for and encourage others. (John 13:34/Galatians 5:13/Colossians 4:2/1 Thess 5:11)

As great as the internet and the Information Age is – it now allows for gasoline to be thrown on the fire of our opinions. Mob mentality and public executions haven’t disappeared in our society, they have just moved to a digital format.

With all that said I’m not saying that giving your opinion is wrong or uncalled for as Christians. We need Christian insights and opinions, but not out of anger, bitterness and in an attempt to “prove something”.

Think about it – how would it change the world if we, as the church, did the following…

Stopped boycotting every business that we disagreed with and started tipping the hardworking employees a little extra instead.

We stopped gossiping about everyone else’s sin and started confessing and working on our own sin.

Listened to the other side as much as we argued against it.

Expressed our love as much as we expressed our frustrations.

What if, we the Church, became a lighthouse and beacon of hope, rather than a searchlight of judgment and anger?