This post is part of the Five Minute Friday blog link-up. Where I join up with a community of writers and bloggers of all ages and stages who gather around a single-word prompt to free-write, unscripted, unedited, for five minutes. This week’s word prompt is {{Opinion}}
Okay — confession time. Many years ago I used to be a very opinionated person. I had an opinion on everything. I sometimes spoke my mind without thinking, and my big mouth got me into trouble.
Sometimes I’d say things that I felt sorry about and apologized for later. I had to stop and think about how my opinionated nature was causing problems in my life, and I knew that I needed to change.
One day, I was reading the Bible and I came across this verse:
A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but a perverse tongue crushes the spirit.
Proverbs 15:4— VOICE
This verse really spoke to me. It made me realize that my words had power, and that I needed to be more careful about how I used them.
I started to pray for God to help me be more gentle and quiet with my tongue. I asked Him to help me seek stillness with Him and to listen to Him before I spoke.
Over time, I started to see a change in myself. I became less opinionated and more thoughtful in my speech. I learned to listen to others more carefully and to offer my opinions with humility.
I’m still opinionated at times, but I’m much more careful about how I express my opinions now. I know that my words have power, and I want to use them to build up others, not tear them down.
Here are a few tips that I’ve learned along the way:
— Before you speak, ask yourself if your words are necessary, kind, and true.
— Be willing to listen to other people’s opinions, even if you disagree with them.
— Be humble and admit when you’re wrong.
— Sometimes it’s best to keep your opinions to yourself.
Remember that your words have power, so use them wisely.
If you’re struggling with your opinionated nature, I encourage you to pray for God to help you. He can help you seek stillness with Him and have a gentle and quiet tongue.
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Sure, I had a point of view
that I gladly used to air,
but that was long before I knew
that no-one would really care
what I thought or what I said,
or what my feelings might have been.
To the wide world I was dead,
and this allowed me to begin
pulling back from conversation,
keeping counsel with myself,
making silence situation
and placing words upon a shelf
where they really need to be
rusting through eternity.
Love this Andrew!
Paula, I think we all are opinionated to some degree. May the Lord work in us so that we become gentle with one another, willing to hear one another, and always love and respect one another. How we treat one another will matter more than our opinions in the end. In expressing my opinions, I hope I build up rather than tear down. Blessings!
I used to think that all Christians would come to the same opinion about everything if we were following God. Then I came across Romans 14, where people on opposite sides of the fence about several issues were all doing what they were doing as unto God, and Paul told them not to judge or despise each other. There are times to take a stand, but there are multitudes of things we don’t need to agree on. Something I”m trying to remember to pray frequently is for God’s leading and wisdom to know when to speak up and when to be quiet.
Love your thoughts on this, wise words here.
Hi Paula,
These are such great tips! I teach the first one to my students each year.
Blessings,
Tammy
Paula, beautifully said! I see my past self in your words…I find it easier to be kind once I brought shame to my own self. Because let’s be honest, that is a big job to ask of someone else.
Amen 🙏🏻
That’s beautiful. Thank you for sharing the actionable tips!
You’re so welcome Beth.
Hmmm, I’d say I’ve been learning very similar lessons over the years! Just because I have strong opinions doesn’t mean that I have to share them all the time, and it’s so important to be wise and gentle about when and how to share opinions too. Visiting from FMF#5
I know right? Me too.
Speaking slowly is a good way to learn to be mindful of the words you use. FMF14
Wow, sounds like how I used to be.
Love this post and the tips at the end. Saving it to my favorites folder.
Thanks for sharing.
Thanks bunches and you’re welcome 🤗
Love this! Shared to X!
Jennifer
I have walked a similar journey, Paula. I once was very opinionated, but now I’m careful to listen to others, and I try to share wise counsel from His Word instead of my human opinions.
Gentleness is always wise. Thank you for the tips, Paula.