Not another opinion!

Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude.(I Peter 3:8)

One mind is hard to get your mind wrapped around, isn't it? We all have an opinion, and some may come close to what yours is, but does it match perfectly? Not always. In fact, there are more opinions in this world than there is truth! What does it mean to sympathize with each other? I believe we need to see things through each other's eyes in order for us to 'come into one mind'. It is never going to happen that we see things perfectly as the other person does, but we can come into a place where we don't compromise truth and that is when we become of one mind.

The outcome of being united in truth is that love flows freely - there is an outpouring of the grace and goodness God has given us. I have one brother and sister, but I have 'many' in the family of God that are my brothers and sisters. Truth should never be compromised, but if we don't keep it ever before us, we can allow the things of this world to counteract any opinion that we hold. We need to study truth, allowing it to influence our every thought, countering every held opinion that doesn't align with the Word of God. When we do, we enter into 'community' and 'family'.

As we begin to relate within community, we also begin to see our attitudes toward things changes - but only to the degree we embrace truth and allow it to influence our hearts. The heart is influenced by the thoughts we mull over time and time again. Isn't it a good thing to 'mull over' scripture - allowing truth to invade each and every aspect of our heart? Tenderhearted people aren't born that way - they allow the Word of God to influence them over and over again until the hardness of heart no longer exists. When opinion becomes less and less important, we will find it easier to resist the tendency to be prideful.

We might find it easier to 'get along' with our family if we let go of some of the long held opinions that are contrary to the Word of God. Just sayin!