When was the last time you shared your opinion, and the conversation was suddenly hijacked into a battle ground?
How do you know when it’s a good time to share your opinion or not? In today’s blog we will explore the behind the scenes of opinion sharing. Opinions are like belly buttons…EVERYONE has got one.
The three verses below offer a solid place to begin our discussion today. Notice the one word that is used in all 3: Love.Â
“The only the that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” Galatians 5:6
“Speak the truth in love.” Ephesians 4:15
“If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or clanging cymbal.” 1 Corinthians 13:1
As God’s children, we are led to lead from the foundation of love. God’s love for us and our choice to love our neighbor as God loves us. This, my friends, is a job for Jesus. Love, first and foremost, is the archway through which we witness truth in a way that can land where God desires for it to land.
Because we have an innate hunger to be right, liked and understood, we are very prone to sharing our opinions. According to St. Paul as he wrote 1 Corinthians 13, we could have all the knowledge, insight, faith and good intentions yet if we don’t deliver our opinion without the prompting of God’s wisdom and love we will come to nothing and so will the conversation.
Sharing our opinion apart from remembering that we are here on earth to make GOD recognizable will only fuel the fires that are burning out of control in our society today. Yet, we continue to share our opinions freely without running them through any prep time to see and explore the motives behind sharing our opinion. James 1:19 invites us to be quick to hear, SLOW to speak and SLOW to become angry. These days, we see quite the opposite: quick to speak, slow to hear, and quick to become angry. What part of that do you own?
Many times our quick impulses to share our opinions flow from our own EGOs (edging God out) rather than from that place of presence with God which invites us to step off the stage of the drama and observe, with divine understanding, the role that God desires us to play in the conversation: “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.” 2 Corinthians 5:20. When we think we are our own ambassadors making our appeal for our position, thoughts, and ideas, we render ourselves vulnerable to arguments and dissension. Read James 4:1-7.Â
In Sherpa Executive Coaching we offer clients 10 traits for Executive Presence and one of those traits is Presence. In the Presence guide we discover the reasons why we share our opinion:
- when we feel insecure
- feelings of inadequacy
- needing to be in control of the conversation
- feel the need to address something of no long-term importance
Which of the above bullet points do you relate to?
The next time you feel the impulse to share your opinion in a conversation, pause and ask yourself the following questions before you speak:
- Pause and pray: God, do you want me to share my opinion?
- Will this add value and am I equipped to deliver it in an Emotional Intelligence in Christ way? (in love, with kindness for the building up of listeners).
- Is my opinion relevant to God’s word?
- Does it glorify God?
If your answer is no to any of the 4 questions, reflect on the motive behind your desire to share your opinion. Which question do you want to commit to before sharing your opinion?Â
Take Action: Listen to the Edge God In Podcast: How to Know When to Share Your Opinion
Lauren E Miller, M.Ed, MSC, ICF-PCC
As a stress relief expert, award winning author, motivational speaker, HRD trainer, Edge God In podcast host, and certified executive and life coach, Lauren facilitates fun process driven programs with guidance, support and accountability creating positive sustainable behavioral change in business and personal life.
Lauren has worked in youth and adult ministries for over 30 years. Through God’s mercy, grace and strength, she uses her experience simultaneously conquering two of life’s top stressors: cancer and divorce to help others destress and successfully move through challenges.
Happily, remarried and gratefully enjoying life in Colorado with a loving husband, three grown children and two grandchildren, Lauren is often found in the kitchen dancing to her favorite worship music or rolling around on the floor with her two dogs.
Lauren holds a Masters in Adult Education with a Certification in Human Resources Development | Advanced Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) Basic & Master Certification | Faculty Shift Leadership Training | Master Sherpa Executive Coach (MSC) and ICF Certification PCC | 2nd degree blackbelt World Tae Kwon Do
Lauren has produced 8 CD’s and five 3 minute/30 day Audio/Visual Personal Excellence/Wellness Programs. She has authored 9 books, 3 of which are Award Winning:
- Hearing His Whisper…with every storm Jesus comes too
- 99 Things You Want To Know Before Stressing Out!
- Stop Letting the World Be the Boss of You! 25 Solutions to Refresh Your Identity in Christ
Edge God In Podcast: http://EdgeGodIn.com
