Next month I'll be 54. Not a milestone, but I am getting older. I remember my Dad about this age, he was so opinionated. Now I have been getting myself banned from certain blogs, and recently "befriended" from someone on Facebook, because of my opinions. I admit I can be a little "In your face" about my opinions, but , hey what is wrong with that?
I come from a time when peoples opinions counted for something, people listened, agreed or disagreed or didn't care. But they listened. Nowadays it seems, that if you have a different opinion then others, it is so easy to just click a button and not have to listen to them anymore....
This I believe is damaging. Maybe you don't agree with someone on some issue, is it rude to just ignore them and continue to think they are wrong? Say this person is a good friend that you respect, do you just "dis" them? Maybe they have some truths you have never thought about before. Maybe they have a passion about their beliefs, right or wrong, I believe, you need to listen and give them your honest opinion discuss it with them and just show them some respect.
Jesus was considered "in your face", He had some radical ideas, ideals, and wasen't afraid to tell everyone about it. Was this wrong? He made people so mad, they killed Him.
I do not in any way want to compare my opinions on certain things to Jesus'. Big differences, my opinions, on say the IPhone, has nothing to do with God's love for us and our love for Him.
Have you ever had a Jehovah's Witness come by your house? What did you do? I knew a guy once that invited them in, and compared their "Bible" to the true Bible, He would listen to them and there memorized speechs, with attention and respect. Then he would tell them about his God, and savior who died for all of us, and is alive in his life. He didn't change anyones mind, that I know of, but he did listen to them first, respect them for their opinions, then share his with them.
Like I said, I am VERY opinionated and not afraid to use it. I will tell anyone who listens, what I think about certain things, political, sports, current affairs, the Bible, you name it, I have a opinion about it, and as I said recently : If you don't know I am opinionated, and if that bothers you, that's your problem not mine."
One very good way to talk to people, is to listen to their opinions, and comment your feelings, thinking ect. If your respect others opinions, they will listen to you.
In the city I live, their are many homeless people who stand on the street corners with signs for money. I have learned, even if I don't have any money to give them, if I roll down the window and just say "Hey, how about this weather?" or something, they smile, and we carry on a conversation until the light changes. One guy told me that so many people just turn away and pretend we aren't there."For someone to acknowledge us" he said," makes our day."
Yes , I have opinions about everything, don't you? Yes, I get in your face, if your opinion differs from mine, but I like it when you get back into my face with yours. Discussion, viewpoints, respectful conversation about the things we see differently, is part of who we are. As Christians, and Americans, this is the only way we can change or alter our sometimes wrong ideas.
If you just ignore others who have different ideas then you, then how will you ever broaden your horizons? I read about a woman that married a Buddhist man, after they were married for several years, she gave her heart to the Lord Jesus Christ. She did not immediately start telling her Buddhist husband he needed to convert to Christianity, but she suddenly got interested in what he believed and how this differed from her own new found Christianity She asked him many questions about the customs and worship of the Buddhist community. He was very glad to tell her and show her. She would go to the temple with him, on occasion. But she never made fun, or tried to "push" her religion on him. Several years later, her husband begin taking an interest in her church. He attended services now and then. It wasn't long before he started going to her Home cell group meetings He met and got to know others in her church that treated him with respect and love. You guessed it, several years later, he was regularly attending her church, no longer attending the Buddhist temple. He didn't start attending because his wife ignored his religion,(difference of opinion), he started attending her church because she showed respect for His religion. . You see, he had a different opinion about God, then she did, WAY different. But what do you think would have happened if she constantly critizied him for his "choices". I really don't think they would still be together anymore.
You see, everyone has an opinion, be them wrong or not, and all they want is to be heard.
So, what does all this mean to us now? Listen to people, let them tell you their opinions, ideas. ideals
Think about what they are saying, agree to disagree, and live your life without shame or doubt. Show your friends that you have very strong opinions also, and share them, throughout your friendship. Don't push your religion , relationship with Jesus, on them. They will respect you for it.
And who knows, they may start to question their "opinions" and start taking interest in yours.
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