STANDARDS versus OPINIONS

Talk! Talk! Talk! Everybody everywhere has something to say about everything. In our era, there is a lot of chatter throughout the variety of social mediums. There seems to be an eagerness for the release of information, a strong desire to be heard. Therefore, the need has created many avenues of expression. Funny enough, Proverbs 10:19 from the International Children’s Bible says, “If you talk a lot, you are sure to sin. If you are wise, you will keep quiet.” As Christians, we should be watchful about the desire to keep speaking. Having a “motor-mouth” is sometimes a symptom of the presence of the stronghold of fear and insecurity or not abiding in the secret place as is required.

Opinions, because they are free and permitted by law in almost every sphere, are astronomical in their publication. People say stuff because they can say stuff. As believers in Christ, we can not hop on the bandwagon that has been facilitating ‘verbal diarrhea.” Not when we understand the potency of speech. Proverbs 18:21 Amplified Bible says, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it and indulge it will eat its fruit and bear the consequences of their words.” In Matthew 12:36 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition, Jesus said, “But I tell you, on the day of judgment men will have to give account for every idle (inoperative, nonworking) word they speak.” These scriptures in a nutshell mean, watch your tongue, watch your tongue what you say because you will have to pay!

There has been an increase in the sensationalizing of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in both how it is presented and how it is perceived. Some ministers feel that if it’s not dramatically, loudly or creatively presented, it will not be received as it would be boring, especially to the younger generation. Several have even added or subtracted from the Word of God for the sake of popularity, acceptance by certain groups and to increase their demographic profile. Some will mix the word with culture with the aim of making it relatable, but if the culture or tradition violates any law or principle of God, it is unacceptable.

The Lord shared with me regarding standards versus opinions. Dictionary.com defines a standard as “something considered by an authority or by general consent as a basis of comparison; an approved model, or a rule or principle that is used as a basis for judgment.” Opinion from the same source states that “An opinion is a belief or judgment that rests on grounds insufficient to produce complete certainty. It is a personal view, attitude, or appraisal.”

I know you can get where I am going with this. When we speak, judge in terms of making a decision, or profess Christianity, it has to be based on a standard and not an opinion. The Spirit of God and His Word MUST ALWAYS be our standard. You cannot have a personal view on what God has already declared.

In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word for standard from the Strong’s Lexicon is ‘degel’ which means, Banner, Standard, Flag. A standard signified a rallying point or a symbol of identity and unity for a group, particularly the tribes of Israel during their wilderness journey. Without going into too much detail, there were four standards in Israel and each was represented by an animal. Each standard had a specific positioning around the tabernacle (East, North, South, West), assigned colors and had a specific positioning when it was time to march. The four standards had different purposes and positions. They were submitted to the leader of their tribe and subscribed to their standard. I have said this, that God is Specifically Specific with all His Specifications. God is the Authority of all authorities and so He is a standard all by Himself and has set things in a particular order according to His purpose, intent, knowledge of both darkness and light and foresight.

If you are a Christian, the Bible and the Spirit of God should be the final authority on any matter. These remain the standard by which we govern our lives, make decisions and form partnerships. Anything outside of this means you are no longer marching under the banner of Christianity. You cannot profess Christianity and not aim to be Christlike, that is ludicrous.

The level of religiosity prevalent in Christianity is vast. This is not surprising as we are being hurled towards the return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The Bible talks about the love of many waxing cold and that there would be many offenses and deceptions in the last days. If we are walking under the flag of Christianity, then we are under love. Not the love that the world portrays that is predicated on feelings, but the love that is described in 1 Cor. 13 which some of the words used are, patient, kind, seeks not her own, not easily provoked etc. It takes God to consistently love in this regard hence the reason the word says that “the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost,” that, “God is love” and also that “the fruit of the spirit is love,” which encapsulates the other eight character traits mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23. Love is so important that Matthew 22:36-40 in the AMP -36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 And Jesus replied to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself [that is, unselfishly seek the best or higher good for others].’ 40 The whole Law and the [writings of the] Prophets depend on these two commandments.” If we can love God and love others the standard of Christ will be clear and not confusing when others view us. 1 John 3:15 AMP says, [15] Everyone who hates (works against) his brother [in Christ] is [at heart] a murderer [by God’s standards]; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.” The increase of infighting in the body of Christ has reached crisis proportions. We have forgotten that we are one body. We seem to find pleasure in inflicting ourselves and causing each other to stumble. We will pray in tongues for hours because we want the power of God and revival, but we are not diligent to keep a pure heart towards each other, nor train our tongues to bless others so we can love to its fullest.  By God’s standards, a lot of us are missing the mark, but by man’s opinion, we are doing exploits for the Kingdom of God.

There are persons that God has elevated, who have allowed their promotion to get to their heads and have made themselves a standard. They point people to themselves and ensure there is a dependency on their gifting, counsel, money and knowledge. Whereas God sends help through men, there should never be such a dependency on any human that it blinds us to the truth. In our humanity, we can shift, detour and deviate at times. Knowing this, our aim should be to have a consistent dependency on Christ so that our souls can be anchored in the solid rock, Jesus!

There are people that make their dreams a standard, so any dream, vision, or encounter they have becomes a reality that they stand on. Although we should utilize these, they cannot become a standard either as these things can be influenced, interrupted or intercepted. In Jeremiah 29:8 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition, it says, “⁸ For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Let not your [false] prophets and your diviners who are in your midst deceive you; pay no attention and attach no significance to your dreams which you dream or to theirs,”. There are some seasons that you can no longer rely on the usual mode of communication because the adversary has somehow gained access. This is the reason these cannot be a standard to even form opinions. I have seen people get dreams, did not check the source or did not check their own hearts and were deceived. The heart is deceitful and desperately wicked, so if you do not like someone, or if there is unforgiveness or jealousy or pride there, it is easy for your dreams, visions and encounters to be manipulated as these represent breaches that give the enemy the legal right to TRY to deceive you.

Leonardo da Vinci said, “The greatest deception men suffer is their own opinions.”  Your opinion cannot be a standard on any matter. You do have a right to an opinion, but that does not mean it is an acceptable one by God’s standards. It is what God says that must be our STANDARD FOR LIVING, PREACHING, TEACHING AND LOVING!