How Reading the Bible Can Help You Stop Worrying about People’s Opinions

In my previous post — How to Believe with Confidence without Having Any Doubt — I spoke about eliminating confusion.

Now that you feel confident in what you believe, it is easy to get upset (or even offended) by what other people say, think or do.

In this post, I want to discuss how you can overcome this problem too.

It is unavoidable that you will find preachers (even people in general), that you do not always agree with. But when you find these people, there is no need for you to get upset.

Everybody is Not Going to Agree with You

You don’t have to agree with everybody, and everybody surely is not going to agree with you either. Make peace with that reality. Don’t get upset and don’t get involved in arguments.

If you walk around claiming that you are right and the doctrine you are following is the only true one and everybody else are doomed, you are treading on dangerous ground. You are busy judging people, and God is very clear about the fact that we shouldn’t judge, or we too will be judged (Matthew 7:1–2).

It is amazing how people will sometimes try to challenge you (or tempt you) to start arguing about something.

I’ve been challenged with this one; “What about someone who has been a good Christian his/her whole life and then commits suicide? Surely such a person is doomed.”

My answer to that one; “Thank goodness it is not up to me to determine someone’s eternal destination. I do not have to be the judge of that. God is not limited to time. Whether that person was a Christian or not, who of us can tell exactly what happened in the last few seconds? Who of us can tell what the conversation was between that person and God in the last split second before he/she left this earth? None of us can tell, so let’s leave that up to God.”

Jesus said, “let him that is without sin, cast the first stone” (John 8:7). As I already mentioned in my previous post, my opinion doesn’t count. What I believe does count, as that will determine my actions, and a tree is known by its fruit (Matthew 7:15–20).

What Does The Bible Say?

What does the Word of God say? What does it say to me? If I know what the Word says, then that is what I should be doing. Yes, we are to teach and support one another. We are supposed to encourage one another to stay on the ‘straight and narrow’. But that is not judging.

Once a person knows the truth, it is his/her own responsibility what he/she does with it. You cannot take responsibility for someone else’s actions and decisions. We can encourage them to do the right thing, but we cannot make decisions for them. We cannot judge them either.

Find out what the Word says, and then do it. Lead by example. If you are really doing what the Word teaches you to do, and you do it by faith, the fruit will show in your life. That is proof and nobody can argue against that, so there is no need to get upset with other people or try to prove anything by convincing them in an argument. Witnessing is not always just about talking, it is about doing. You are witnessing by the way you live.

We all have access to the same truth in the Bible. Why am I going to waste my energy and do damage to my health by arguing with other people about a difference of opinion? I would rather spend that energy on someone who really needs my help.

Secondly, people might be very sincere about their relationship with God, and absolutely convinced that they are doing right. By starting an argument based on opinions, you are only going to upset them and never convince them otherwise. By staying calm and relaxed, you might end up pointing out to them what the Word of God is actually saying (or maybe you have missed something and end up discovering a new truth yourself).

Start a Daily Habit of Reading Something in the Bible

Start a daily habit of reading something from the Bible. Even if you spend only 10 to 15 minutes per day to start with, that’s okay. Consider investing in a book that can assist you with a Bible reading program. There are great books on the market guiding you to read through the whole Bible. It also helps you to study and understand what you read.

Just read as much as you are comfortable with and meditate on what you have read. Think of ways you can apply what you have read and put it to the test.

This will help you to get your mind focused on the Word of God instead of being stressed about the news every day.

Living by faith, or giving expression to your faith, living the Christian lifestyle — whatever you want to call it — is the most exciting way you can imagine to live your life as far as I’m concerned. God doesn’t want us to live a boring life full of rules and regulations, always being serious and concerned about our sins and how we are going to be punished for it. We have been set free, the price has been paid.

That doesn’t mean we can just go around and live in sin now. Why would you want to do that? If you have received Jesus Christ as your Redeemer and your Savior, you are now living in victory. You have the power to take authority and say no to all that bad stuff, and live a life without fear. You can live a life which is filled with love, joy, peace, and health.

What Are You Focused On?

It all starts with a decision and the way you think. Yes, you have to make that decision, and you have to take control of your thinking. You might even be a re-born, church-going Christian, but what is going on in your mind? How do you view the world? What are your thoughts focused on? Are you depressed with all the bad news you hear and see every day? Being addicted to the daily news can physically be bad for your health. Read One Step To Having a Calmer Life to see why.

Are you looking at the “doom-and-gloom”, or are you seeing opportunities where you can make a difference?

The world is full of fear. There is no lack of people suffering from depression and anxiety. Negative stress is at the order of the day. That is the way of the world.

Renew Your Mind

But God says; “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2 NIV).

Do not be conformed to the way the world is thinking. Learn what the will of God is for your life. Start focusing on that instead of other people’s opinions. Start meditating on that and your life will change.

It is not a quick fix though. You have to do it on a daily basis. The world will come with its negative attacks on a daily basis. But you need to be disciplined and take your stand. Decide to make God’s Word the final authority in your life, and do what His Word says — every day.

No More Confusion

Where there is confusion, there is fear. Where there is fear, there is chaos.

But “God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7 KJV).

So, no more need for confusion. The spirit of fear clearly doesn’t come from God, so you don’t have to tolerate it. Confusion is not coming from God either because He gave us the Spirit of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

If you have ever felt offended or intimidated by other people’s opinions, I hope this article was helpful.