“So this is my prayer: that your love will flourish and that you will not only love much but well. Learn to love appropriately. You need to use your head and test your feelings so that your love is sincere and intelligent, not sentimental gush. Live a lover’s life, circumspect and exemplary, a life Jesus will be proud of: bountiful in fruits from the soul, making Jesus Christ attractive to all, getting everyone involved in the glory and praise of God.” ‭‭Philippians‬ ‭1:9-11‬ ‭MSG‬‬

Four-letter words. Four-letter words are often the kinds of words that a follower of Jesus should avoid, right? But there is a four-letter word that I have been paying a lot of attention to lately: NEWS. When I pay attention to TV news I try to only watch the evening news because that report tells me what is happening, not what someone thinks about what is happening. 24-hour news is the worst thing that ever happened to broadcast journalism because in order to fill all that time, the networks bring on “experts” to talk about events. So, instead of 24-hours of news we end up with a half hour of actual news reports and 23 and a 1/2  hours of opinions. And everybody has got an opinion about what is happening, don’t they?

Do opinions matter? Of course! Opinions indicate the condition of our hearts. In some ways, our opinions reveal what we are founding our lives on. What’s your foundation, my friend? Have you considered that? What do your opinions about all that is happening in our world reveal about you? 

So, here’s my opinion, God made the world good. He made humans to reflect His glory, but from the moment that Eve and Adam took the first bite of the forbidden fruit that glory was clouded by sin. Fast forward to 2021 and the effects of that sin are clearly revealed in every news headline from the local to the global. Recent days have made it more clear than ever that without God at the center of life people spin off into all kinds of damaging behaviors. We are divided, not by political opinion as much as by selfishness and self-centerednes. That is the result of sin. Nothing more and nothing less. Keeping that in mind gives me some perspective and helps me stay grounded. I want my energy spent on what matters most.

So, In a time of divided opinion and selfish ambitions what matters most? How can you and I refine our focus, live for what matters and let go of what doesn’t?

When you belong to Jesus, what matters most to you must be what matters most to Him, right? So, let’s take some time to begin to explore that. What matters most?

Live a life Jesus will be proud of. What is it that will make Jesus proud? In his letter to his friends in Philippi the apostle Paul makes clear what he believes is the foundation of living for what really matters: love. Love is the foundation of a God-centered life. The Message version of the Bible (a paraphrase, not a translation) makes the goal of Paul’s letter that the Philippians’ love “will flourish” and that they “will not only love much but well.” (Philippians 1: 9-11 MSG) 

It’s so important to recognize what really matters to God if I want to life a life Jesus will be proud of, isn’t it? When I identify what really matters to Him and determine to line up with Him, to make Him proud, it helps me to let go of all that really doesn’t matter, like all the opinions floating around in cyberspace.  Only one opinion matters: His. And He values love above everything else. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans‬ ‭5:8‬ ‭NIV‬‬) Jesus summed up what matters in the Great Commandment: Love God. Love People. (Matthew 22: 37-39;  Mark 12: 29-31; Luke 1:25-28n 13: 34-35). When I focus on understanding what really matters to Him, it guides how I live and helps me to fulfill God’s purpose for me rather than to line up with someone else’s agenda. 

Like everyone else, I have opinions and there are times when my opinions are the loudest voices in my head. You know what I mean, don’t you? When my emotions are running high about any situation, I have learned that is the time to do and say nothing. I don’t want my emotions and opinions to guide my response. I have learned to stop and process those strong opinions and emotions in God’s presence and to ask Him what matters to Him. Since love is the foundation of a God-centered life I want to be guided by love, not my opinion. “How do you see this mess, Lord? I know what I think should happen, but what do You think?” When I take the time to do that, my emotions come back into balance and I can see the situation more clearly so that I can respond in a way that honors God. How do you handle those passion and opinion-filled moments? Does your opinion line up with God’s? Can Jesus be proud of your responses?

Make Jesus attractive to everyone by the way you live. Unfortunately, throughout the centuries we Christians have often made Jesus stink to the world around us. We have become known for what we are against and have often acted in self-righteous hatefulness rather than Christ-motivated love. Love helps me to live  with a God-focused perspective. What should be my goal in the way I respond to the mess in our world? My goal needs to be to live like Jesus and talk about Him and what is important to Him in a way that makes others want to follow Him. My love for God needs to overflow in love for the people whose opinion is different from mine. Think for a few moments about the kinds of things you are posting on social media or the conversations you are having with unbelievers about current events. Are you expressing your opinions in a Christ-honoring way? Do your posts and words make Christ attractive to others? 

I have determined that anything I post on social media should be encouraging and Christ-centered. Do I have opinions? I certainly do! But I don’t want my opinions to turn others away from Jesus. If you have a conversation with me about current events I will not easily give my opinion. Of course, I let my guard down with certain people, but not with most, and definitely not with someone who does not know Christ. The Gospel is what matters most, not my opinion. My aim is to make the Gospel attractive. I don’t always hit the mark, but that is what I am aiming for. 

Get everyone involved in the glory and praise of God. If I determine to live for God’s glory and to behave in a way that points to Him, then my goal is for others to follow me. I point to Him so that they will look to Him, right? Isn’t that what we are put on the earth for? To do everything for the glory of God?  (1 Corinthians 10:31; Colossians 3:23-24) When I make love the cornerstone of my life, then love for God and love for people helps me to make choices that really matter. Jesus gave us the commission to go and make disciples. (Matthew 28:19: Mark 16: 15) That means He wants you and I to live well for Him and help others to live well for Him. You and I have the right to express our opinions. Having opinions is part of having a brain. But if I let my opinions cloud the image of Christ in me, then I am not fulfilling my commission to make disciples. That’s so much more important than what I think about anything. 

Dear Friend, do you want a fulfilling and satisfying life? Of course you do! So, are your opinions leading you toward fulfillment and satisfaction or are they just stirring up fear, frustration and anger? Is there anything you need to adjust so that your foundation is built on God and God alone? Can I encourage you to process your opinions privately and point to Jesus publicly? When you do that, I guarantee that you will be fulfilling your God-given purpose and you will find yourself much more satisfied in that than in making your opinions known to the world. Refocus on what matters most and your days will be filled with satisfaction. Make your foundation a four-letter word: LOVE.

Key thought: Love is the foundation of a God-centered life. 

A Scripture to consider: “So this is my prayer: that your love will flourish and that you will not only love much but well. Learn to love appropriately. You need to use your head and test your feelings so that your love is sincere and intelligent, not sentimental gush. Live a lover’s life, circumspect and exemplary, a life Jesus will be proud of: bountiful in fruits from the soul, making Jesus Christ attractive to all, getting everyone involved in the glory and praise of God.” ‭‭Philippians‬ ‭1:9-11‬ ‭MSG‬‬ 

A YES challenge: Set aside time in God’s presence to examine your opinions about some key issues in our world right now. What do those opinions reveal about your foundation? What do you need to adjust so that your foundation is built on what matters most to God?

Prayer: Father, Paul makes clear to his friends that he sees You as a God of love and that he wants their lives to be built on the kind of love that You have for people. I am quite certain that I do not love that way. I want the foundation of my life to be loving people as an expression of my love for You. I love You because of Your abundant love for me. Let that love fill me up and overflow to those around me. Amen.