Opinions – Proverbs 18:2

Clarence L. Haynes Jr., in his article, Is Satan Using Social Media to Trick You?, writes,

When social media was created, it was used primarily as a means of connection. Over the years, it has gone beyond connection (a blessing) and has become a place of contention, confusion, and conflict (a curse).  It’s in these places of disagreement and discord that Satan thrives.

He lists several of Satan’s tricks: Trick #1: The Need to “Express Yourself” (Get This off My Chest), Trick #2: The Need to Be Seen (Glitz and Glam), Trick #3: The Need to Be Political (the Ghastly and the Gullible), and Trick #4: Forgetting Who Your Neighbor Is (The Golden Rule), and then provides solutions for them.

A fool takes no pleasure in understanding,

but only in expressing his opinion. (Proverbs 18:2, ESV)

We have become a nation of fools!

It is not ‘fashionable’ to listen to those with opposing viewpoints anymore.  What is fashionable is to tweet ugly things about those who oppose us.  Our unwillingness to listen is born in part of laziness and in part of arrogance.  We want to express our opinion and not be contradicted, or characterize the one who does contradict us as stupid.

The wise and godly person takes pleasure in understanding another person.  I have a new hero of wisdom, Chip Gaines.  Chip has a construction and design business with his wife Joanna and had a very successful TV show called “Fixer Upper” on HGTV.  In his book, Capital Gaines, he makes a plea for listening to one another, for bridging gaps between people.  He tells the parable of working side by side with a man, digging a ditch together, and of seeking to get to know this man and hearing his viewpoint, of resisting shooting off his mouth about his own viewpoint in order to really hear this other man.  And then at the end of the day he invites this man to supper at his home.  Despite their differences he takes pleasure in getting to know this man below the surface.

Who will be most likely to be able to guide someone to truth: the person who rips you in social media or the person who really gets to know you and respects you?