Much of our focus is driven by opinion.
Our opinion. Their opinion. Public opinion.
We call it peer pressure, social influence, or keeping up with the Jones. It’s all the same. We’re driven to chase a lifestyle that is often unfulfilling.
It’s all about how we see things. That high-dollar suit we parade at the office, well, move to the beach and see how important it is. No one will be impressed when we show up on the sand in full formal attire.
How about that sports car? Drive it on a farm, and no one cares. Instead, we’ll be the talk of the barn, and not in a good way.
Our better choice is to quit trying to upgrade ourselves in other people’s eyes and see our circumstances in a new light. We need to separate ourselves from what others think of us. We find our first step toward opinion independence in 1 Thessalonians 5:18.
“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
It’s that simple, and it makes a world of difference. It changes everything. Being grateful for what we have shifts the balance from feeling sorry that we can’t compete to realizing we don’t have to.
Even when we don’t feel thankful, try it out. Give thanks anyway. Find a good point in the situation and focus on that. Soon, that’s all we’ll start to see.
We’ll become happier people for it.
It’s God’s opinion that counts, and he thought enough of us that he offered his Son for our salvation.
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Code: FGO.E.18.18a.vp.esv