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White bread versus wheat. Coke versus Pepsi. Ironman versus Captain America. These days, we are inundated with opinions. Political parties, denominational affiliations, health and wellness, education and entertainment, philosophies, morality…it seems like no matter where we turn, someone is offering their opinion on how we should think, act, believe, consume, and be. And because of our modern technological age with its plethora of social media sites, news outlets, and personalities saturating our screens, it is getting harder and harder to block out the chaos. We long to know which opinion is the correct one. What is true? What is real? How do we go about finding solid ground?
Battling Our Swinging Emotions
Truth is even harder to detect when our emotions get involved. I once witnessed a bluebird nearly peck himself to death in our car’s driver’s side mirror. He saw his image and thought he was another male bluebird and therefore a threat to his little family nestled high in the tree above.
Just because we feel something doesn’t mean it’s true. Just like opinions, our emotions dip and rise with alarming speed. But God never changes. James 1:17 (ESV) says, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”
Counterfeits and Truth
With such a wide variety of opinions around us, it’s not always hard to spot the ones we completely disagree with, but what about the things that sound right? After all, a counterfeit is only good if it looks like the real thing. It takes a trained eye to spot a fake.
So how do we find solid ground in a world of chaos?
Sure Footing
Paul put it this way in Ephesians 4:14-15: “Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ” (NIV).
When we are surrounded by confusing opinions, there are several things we can do.
Measure the Opinion Against God’s Word
He is our standard, our measurement for truth. Emotions oscillate and cultural trends change with frightening speed, but He never does. When in doubt, learn what He says and then form your opinion based on His truth.
Spend Time with God
It’s hard to know people we never spend time with. A powerful key to strengthening my own discernment has been to develop an active prayer life. Talking to God over the big things, the hard stuff, and even the silly surprises throughout the day has helped me form a habit of turning to Him to find solid ground when I’m struggling instead of being distracted by all the noise.
Align How You Feel with What You Know
When we’re already trying to sift our way through uncertainty, it’s easy for our emotions to take over. We can easily become fearful, fretful, angry, or overwhelmed. But just because we feel overwhelmed doesn’t mean things are out of control. Name what you’re feeling and then ask God to align it to His truth.
Listen now to a short segment of this meditation from Abide based on John 1:12 and the truth of the gospel.
There are so many tools available—meditation with the Abide app, gathering with fellow followers of Jesus, turning off the noise of screens, spending time in nature—all of which are great starting steps to find solid ground in the midst of opinion overload.
For more help finding solid ground, check out the Abide app. Our 400+ Bible-based sleep stories, more than 1500 guided meditations and daily devotionals all exist to help you get to know the Word of God better. A premium subscription gains you access to the full-length version of meditations, like the one above. Use this link for 25% off.
Tara Johnson is an author and speaker, and loves to write stories that help people break free from the lies they believe about themselves.
