What to do About Other People’s Opinions?

July 3, 2014 | 9 comments

Do you have people around you that express a lot of opinion? Maybe friends, neighbors, spouses, co-workers, bosses….

People seem to have a lot of opinions about a lot subjects. Just ask someone what they think about a topic, and they’ll likely tell you!

Some opinions are harmless. “I think warm sunny days are the greatest,” one person may voice. Their opinion is no big deal. Liking a warm sunny day isn’t going to hurt anyone else.

Other opinions feel harmful. “I think you are destroying this family,” an angry spouse may yell at her significant other. This opinion does feel like a big deal, because it threatens the loss of something precious.

It’s important to put opinion in its proper place so it doesn’t weigh in heavier than justified.

Some opinions are influenced by profound wisdom. Others may be carved by the evils of envy, jealousy, malice or selfish interest.

The important question is, “What is the truth?”

I find these quotes by Mary Baker Eddy helpful:

“Human opinions are not spiritual.” Science and Health, p. 192

“In Christian Science mere opinion is valueless.” Science and Health, p. 341

“The one Mind, God, contains no mortal opinions. All that is real is included in this immortal Mind.”
Science and Health, p. 399

Truth is what has power, not human opinion. Even when the opinion is dark and ominous, if it doesn’t have spiritual truth behind it, it is destined to be thwarted, dropped or revised. We can speed up the purifying process by impersonalizing the opinion and praying to sort out the right from the wrong.

Jesus Christ faced countless human opinions, many of them dark and evil. But he did not let them intimidate him into compromising his mission or sidelining his objectives. He pushed ahead without fear knowing that spiritual truth always triumphs in the end.

It’s God’s opinion that has the final say.

9 thoughts on “What to do About Other People’s Opinions?”

  1. Very helpful. A good reminder to go to God for the news of the day! An especially timely reminder since much of our news, print, TV, etc. is human opinion these days, rather than just reporting the facts of the issues. Lots of human opinion being broadcast. I’m guilty of expressing human opinions! A lot! Thanks for the wake up call! What am I (with an emphasis on I) broadcasting? God’s truths or human opinion? One is valueless, one is valuable!

  2. What a welcome time to be presented. This morning I am faced with a challenge and this is much needed for me to clear the air.

    Thanks!

  3. I guess from a God inspired point of view, human opinions should uplift instead of downdraft.
    The best example of this is “THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR.”
    All of it’s reporting gives divine solutions based upon deep prayer of God’s greatness in the solving of human problems.

  4. Thank you for that welcome message. I’m finding that to claim our God is the All-knowing , so really doing all the knowing for all His ideas, helps to clear my thought of what is presented in the news reports.
    I’m sure that what Jesus proved in his healing work demonstrated this conviction .

    .

  5. Thank-you Evan!!! I love what Christ Jesus said to Peter John 21:22 “…what is that to thee? follow thou me.” We have to stay focused on the Christ and not be distracted by human opinions or actions.

  6. Thanks Evan and Genie that’s right. As Tobias said the CS Monitor’s aim is to bless even as was emphasized in last June’s Annual Meeting.

  7. Thank you, Evan! Just had a conversation about what other people would think and whether “everyone” was controlled by that fear. I just passed this on to the other person in the conversation, and I hope she finds it as refreshing as I did.

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