Bible Passage: “In a lawsuit the first to speak seems right, until someone comes forward and cross-examines.” (Proverbs 18:17 NIV)
Scripture Reading: Proverbs 12:15; James 3:17
During COVID, it was pretty easy to tell if someone was a “Fox News” guy or a “CNN” guy.
Their differing opinions on the pandemic were obvious, and a guy’s views would often lean towards one perspective or the other.
Today’s Proverb is one of my favorites. The principle is simple:
Listening exclusively to one side of an issue is unwise.
You don’t have to agree with the other side. You don’t even need to respect the argument.
But as our proverb says today, you’ll never know if your views are really true unless you cross-examine them.
In Acts 15, we read about a church trying to resolve a theological disagreement. They gather. They turn to Scripture. Differing perspectives are shared. They reach a decision together.
None of that would have happened if each side had just said, “I’m right, you’re wrong, and I’m not listening!”
You don’t have to listen to every voice out there. There are too many, and some people show by their fruit that they don’t need to be listened to.
But that shouldn’t let us off the hook. On any given disagreement as to what is true, there are almost always some wise and measured voices on both sides, and some of them are indeed worthy of listening to.
You may still disagree with them after a fair hearing. It may even strengthen your own view. But you will still likely be wiser for the exercise, and likely your views will be less prone to error. Only a fool thinks that their opinion is automatically right and won’t listen to others.
(That’s not me calling anyone a fool, by the way—Proverbs 12:15)
James gives us a great tool in determining whether or not we are seeing wisdom that we should consider:
“But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere” (James 3:17).
When other voices sound like this, we should take them seriously and give them a fair hearing, combining this with our previously discussed steps of checking our itching ears, looking to Scripture, examining the fruit of the Spirit, and testing things against the way of Jesus.
These steps aren’t at their best on their own, but together they offer a compelling way for men to find truth.
Prayer: Lord, thank You that I don’t need to figure everything out on my own. Where I need my views challenged or cross-examined, show me trustworthy voices that will help. Amen.
Reflection: Who is a trusted voice on “the other side” that you respect, even if you disagree with them (whether it’s concerning politics, theological issues, etc.)? Spend some time reading or listening to something they created today.
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