Don’t let your own opinions stop what God is doing in your life.
Your thoughts, views and expectations are based on limited information, short sighted views of the circumstances and a minor look at some of facts. You should always take into consideration all of the information. Look at circumstances from every possible angle and base your movement on all the facts.
The only way this last statement becomes true is for you to add God into your equation. He is the only one with all knowledge, all view points, all facts and all power. Anything you come up with on your own is going to be limited at best. That’s just the truth. We are not all-knowing beings, but praise God, our Heavenly Father is!
Since hindsight is 20/20, let’s look at a scriptural example of 2 sets of people. The first used only their limited thoughts and opinions. The second used all the information given to come to a conclusion. The thing to look at is that both groups had the exact same experiences. Read Numbers 13-14, it’s the story of the 12 spies sent into the promised land.
Same Experience
All these men had been former slaves in Egypt. They had all lived through the 10 plagues that had impacted Egypt, but not their land. All of them saw that the first born of Egypt died, including the cattle. All saw the pillar of fire by night and the cloud of glory by day. All walked through the Red Sea. They received water from a rock. They had all received the 10 commandments. They had all received Quail and Manna to eat. They had all experienced the same things! They had all seen and heard that God was in their midst moving on their behalf.
Different Opinion
They were asked to go and spy on the land. To bring back fruit and a report of the land. Numbers 13:17-20 says,
“When Moses sent them to explore Canaan, he said, “Go up through the Negev and on into the hill country. See what the land is like and whether the people who live there are strong or weak, few or many. What kind of land do they live in? Is it good or bad? What kind of towns do they live in? Are they unwalled or fortified? How is the soil? Is it fertile or poor? Are there trees in it or not? Do your best to bring back some of the fruit of the land.” (It was the season for the first ripe grapes.)”
Once they returned, all the men agreed that that the land was everything God promised, but 10 of them added their opinions to their report. Numbers 13:31-33 continues,
“But the men who had gone up with him said, ‘We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.’ And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, ‘The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.’”
They relied on what they thought and felt about the situation. They relied on their own limited opinions. Caleb and Joshua had differing thoughts about it. Numbers 14:6-9 records,
“Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes and said to the entire Israelite assembly, ‘The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them.’”
Their view point included more than their own limited vision. It took into consideration, the Lord! God’s power, God’s favor, God’s ability, God’s grace towards them, God’s ability to move through them, and God’s will. This was the right view, the truth of the situation. This was the facts.
But you know what? Because the people chose to believe in the opinions of others they missed out. They rejected the truth which was the view that contained all the information, including God. Instead they opted for the limited thoughts of 10 men who were still thinking like slaves, small, puny, limited, and unable. They should have been thinking like the men who they were; delivered, favored, blessed, and in relationship with almighty God.
Don’t let your opinion stop what God is doing in your life. Always consider God’s view, God’s thoughts, God’s word, and God’s ability when you have to come to a decision.