“Do not be wise in your own opinion.” Romans 12:16
When someone asks, “What’s your opinion?” they are asking for your point of view. That seems to be okay, to express how we see the world, to share what we think and feel. However, the Bible tells us to be careful with our opinions, to not to be wise, or conceited, in our personal estimations. This is what the New Living Translation says, “Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!”
First, if we are humble, we will want our opinion, our estimation, to line up with God’s way of thinking. His thoughts are accurate! We also read in Isaiah 55 that God’s thoughts and ways are much higher than ours; therefore, we should seek God’s point of view on a person or a situation over our own way of thinking.
Second, if we are humble, we will refrain from trying to discern a person or circumstance when it’s not our place to do so. For example, an adolescent may try to share his or her opinion from their limited point of view of the family, but he or she would be wise to stay humble and respect their parents’ point of view because parents carry responsibility, wisdom, and experience. The same is true in the local church. Pastors are overseers, and they carry responsibility, wisdom, and experience as a spiritual authority. Someone in the church may have an opinion, but that opinion is from a point of view that is often lower and limited than that of the leader God has placed in position. A layman isn’t carrying the same responsibility, and shouldn’t. It’s pride that makes a church member think he or she knows more than the pastor. If the Lord Himself is giving insight to the layman, then follow God over a human leader.
Third, if we are humble, we will not use our opinion to condemn. Our estimation of a person can easily become our judgment of a person, and the Bible is clear that we are not to condemn; it’s not our place.
Stay humble. Just because we have an opinion doesn’t mean we are to share than opinion. We should seek God’s point of view, we should trust and support our leaders, and we should never judge to condemn, only to discern. Unless we are in an abusive or sinful environment, we often should keep our opinions to ourselves.
Application: Be careful how you answer the question, “What’s your opinion?” Just because someone opened a door doesn’t mean we walk through the door and open our mouth. We are to choose humility, which means we are to bring ourselves under and resist lifting ourselves up.