The not so popular opinion…
Recently there has been a lot of criticism and opinions flying around. Whether it’s about the Super Bowl ad drama or Travis Kelce drama.. politics.. wars.. everyone seems to have a strong opinion and feels validated to express it.
I admit, I too had my own opinions.. it’s only natural to see things and then form judgments but the fruit of that is just that.. another opinion. There is no change in culture.. no transformation. So allow me to offer another perspective.
Months ago I was confronted with a situation that honestly really frustrated me. I voiced my opinions to The Lord in how wrong the beliefs of the other people were.. wanting to go in and ‘flip some tables’. I was angry and annoyed, what I was seeing was correct in that Jesus was being misrepresented and in turn misunderstood leading people into deeper bondage.
Knowing that what I was feeling was not 100% pure I began asking Him to help my heart. I humbled myself, laid down my perspectives and I asked him to give me his.
That’s when I heard him ask, “Melissa, would you give your life for these people?”
The fear of the Lord hit me as I felt the weight of His words pierce through my soul.
If I am honest, the answer at that point was probably no. I would like to think that I would, but at that point, I couldn’t fully and honestly answer yes to that question.
He said “These are ones that I laid my life down for. While they are still darkened. Until one has that kind of love in their hearts, you don’t get to flip tables.”
In other words, until His love is so formed in you that you are willing to lay your life down for them, you don’t have the authority to flip any tables.
I believe this is why the church has been so divided and irrelevant. We have been void of love, the only thing necessary. We point fingers at others trying to “stand for truth” when our hearts are completely without love. The only love present is with our own opinions. We point our crooked fingers and blast our opinions holding tightly to our perspectives demanding others to comply.
Surrendering to the life of The Spirit is staying in such a humble posture that we are constantly submitting our perspectives to Holy Spirit to gain His. When we said ‘Yes’ to Jesus we forfeited our “right” to our opinion. This is the standard friends. We have no right to our opinions or perspectives. We are to constantly be learning His. His perspectives bring life and peace.. joy and hope. The perspectives of the natural mind usually yield frustration and criticism… heaviness and hopelessness.
That is a pretty awesome exchange but it requires a yielded heart.
What if the body of Christ began actually walking in this?
Imagine if the mind of a person thought one way but its body parts were all trying to go different directions or rejecting itself? That individual would not be able to go anywhere or get anything accomplished. This is exactly what has happened in the body of Christ. We have been so busy rejecting one another over differences that we have no power or influence over the broken culture.
But I believe it’s shifting. As we learn to yield to Jesus, the head, we will begin to actually look like Him in the earth and become the Bride He deserves 💜
Are we learning His perfect love?