I will urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. – Romans 16:17 (NIV)
In today’s world, there are more opinions and views than ever before. A few, in particular, are dividing people in a way that hasn’t been seen for years, if at all. You’re either for, against, or even undecided about what is going on. Whatever side you’re on, you have probably noticed the division it causes because of the differing opinions.
People are influenced by several things – what they read, see, and hear forms their opinions. If they believe something is right, they will defend it and try to present their reasons for why they believe what they do whenever they can. In a group of people, there will be various opinions and conflicts over those opinions.
A wrong opinion can sound right and vice versa. No matter what it is, there is no denying that it is an obstacle to your relationships. Friends begin to drift apart, and you may start to feel that you are being left out, especially if you do not agree with the majority.
So, how do you know which opinions are right and which are wrong? The Bible gives clear instructions on how to discern between what is right and what is wrong. We have to compare what the world is telling us to what the Bible is telling us. Sadly, some people can be blinded by what the world is telling them because it looks like something that is biblical. For example, if the world tells you to do something under the guise of helping others when in reality, it is creating a form of discrimination, it can be confusing.
What do you do when you start feeling left out of your group of friends when you don’t agree with them on certain things? Firstly, find out what the Bible says to find out which side is right and which side is wrong. Secondly, make up your mind to disagree agreeably. You can have differing opinions but they shouldn’t cause divisions. If we all agreed on the same things, then life would be boring in the sense that we would all be like robots and not willing to exercise our free will, which God gave us. Free will is what makes us different and why we have disagreements with other people.
If you are feeling left out of the loop, don’t forget that you will always be in God’s loop as long as you continue to follow him. Even Jesus had times he disagreed with his friends but he never gave up on them and neither should you. The feeling of being left out doesn’t last forever and most disagreements will fade away with time.
When the world keeps trying to break up your relationships with opinions that can even fool the most learned of Christian scholars, then you must remember to take it to God and pray about it. God knows the fact from the fiction. He also knows having a differing opinion is okay as long as that opinion is supported by His Word.
Keep watching out for those and their opinions who put obstacles in your way. Also, keep learning what God has to say so that you will be able to stop any differing opinions from ruining your relationships.