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As Christians, we are called to proclaim truth. But it is wise to first be silent in order to test what or who is the source of our opinion.

As Christians, we desire to speak truth. Our heart is to do the right thing and get along. However, over the past few years, I have observed many Christians struggle to align with one another on what is good and bad, and it has caused much division. This has been most apparent in the context of the COVID response, Donald Trump, and the war in Israel.

We are bombarded with intense emotions when weighing in on any of these topics. While each voice endeavours to contribute truth to the table, the result tends to be an amplification of the divide in opinions. This experience has proven really tough for many Christians, and it raises the question: What should we do in such situations? Do we recoil and stay silent?

The answer is both no and yes.

We are never to be silent because of intimidation or fear. We must proclaim truth. But it is wise to first be silent in order to test what or who is the source of our opinion. The reason for this is that we can be wrong — and equally, we can be right but still wrong. It all depends on the source. As we read in 1 Kings 19:11-12,

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.

God was not in all the noise. The source of truth was to be found in the quiet.

A Biblical Comparison

Let’s take another biblical example. Which of the following two people spoke the more reliable word?

Peter — a confident man, a disciple of Jesus, a natural born leader, the only one to walk out onto the water when he saw Jesus, the rock on which the church was built, the author of two books of the Bible. When Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things and be killed, Peter responded, “Never, Lord! This shall never happen to you!”

or

Rahab — a prostitute, a woman held in contempt, used for money, a pitied and pitiful person, the author of nothing, and connected with no one. When Joshua sent two spies into Jericho, and they went into Rahab’s house and stayed there, Rahab said, “I know that the Lord has given you this land.”

In context, Scripture makes clear that Peter spoke from an evil spirit, while Rahab spoke the truth.

If not for the context provided by the Bible, we could assume that Peter spoke truth and Rahab was foolish. Peter knew that Jesus was all-powerful and that nothing could overcome him, so logically, what Peter said seemed on its face to be correct. It was a reasonable statement to make, and was indeed made by a very credible person. On the other hand, Rahab’s statement might have seemed absurd, and she appeared to be an untrustworthy person who could readily be dismissed.

This is how we, as Christians, can miss the truth of what is happening around us today, by judging with human measures and concerns.

However, we fall into error when we use human judgments. In Matthew 16:23, Jesus teaches us that we must always test the source of our understanding:

Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

Jesus reveals that the source of Peter’s statement was Satan, and that as such, he spoke with human concerns and not those of God. Peter was in error.

Ungodly Sources of Opinion

Ungodly sources include things such as pride, presumption, disdain or discomfort with alternate viewpoints, offence, hurt, trauma, anxiety, hate, noise, chaos, confusion, urgency, impulsiveness and shame. When these emotions and experiences inform our understanding, the source is wrong. These things are not of God. (In secular terms, it might be called it a ‘trauma-informed’ response). As such, in every case, the opinion itself is going to miss the mark.

Examples might include:

• Anger about the treatment of women in the Bible, where the source of understanding has, at its root, anger.
• A lack of understanding how God could ever destroy a people group to give someone else land, where the source of understanding has, at its root, pride, or exalting one’s opinion above God’s.
• A distrust of people who say they can hear from God, where the source of understanding is mistrust.
• An attitude of “I know what I am talking about because I am learned”, where the source of understanding is self-reliance, pride, and an unteachable spirit.

When an opinion is tainted and coming from the wrong spirit, it might sound right but it is wrong.

Having Your Opinion Shaped by God

As Christians, it is our heart that matters. I want to encourage us in 2025 to shift from presumption into curiosity — curiosity about the source of our understanding and opinions.

Ask yourself the question, what is motivating my viewpoint? Is it pride or offence? Am I speaking out of a sense of chaos or confusion? Am I motivated by fear, past hurts or prejudice? If so, pause before drawing a conclusion. In the silence, take a moment to wait on God and listen for the gentle whisper.

Read the Word, explore God’s character, come to know His Spirit in a deeper way, and grow in intimacy with Him.

Do not be a stumbling block to God. Do not do as Peter did, when he was puffed up with human concerns. Ask God what is on His mind? What are His concerns in the situation that you find yourself perplexed or inquiring about? What are His thoughts and ways? As Isaiah 55:8-9 declares:

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

As we step into 2025, let us be intentional in our desire to grow in wisdom and discernment. Let us not be a people tossed about by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming (Ephesians 4:14). All wisdom comes from the Lord, and so do common sense and understanding (Proverbs 2:6). Make Him — and the fruit of His Spirit — the source of your opinion.

For when we do, the source is love, and it is from love that we are empowered by Holy Spirit to know and speak truth.

Shalom peace. Let His breath be yours.

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