Jump Start # 3166

Matthew 11:28 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

I’ve noticed a trend on Facebook. It starts with a headline to grab your attention. “Experts say…” is usually how it begins. Experts say here are five fashion items you should no longer wear. Experts say here is seven decorating No-Nos that you need to quit doing. Experts say here are three foods that you should never keep in your refrigerator. On and on and on, the advice is given to us by the experts. The experts know. And, we are supposed to do what the experts tell us.

Now, I admit that I an a rebel at heart. And, when the experts say this is what you need to do, I always fight that. It’s interesting that the experts are never revealed. Who are they? What makes them experts? Why are their opinions better than my opinion? Those are the thoughts that I generally have.

Our verse tells us to come to Christ. He is the expert. He proved it. His credentials authorize it. The testimony of the Father demonstrates it. We need to listen to Jesus. His opinion, which is really not an opinion, must come before my opinion. And, when that rebel spirit rises up in our hearts to resist what He says, we must realize that He knows. He speaks from the standpoint that He is trying to help us. He loves us. He loves us so much that He gave His life for us.

Our lives are not only flooded with the opinions of experts on Facebook, but the advice of family and friends often comes across the same way. You must do this. You have to go here. We hear things like that all the time and when we don’t do what they say, they get upset. They have assumed the role of the expert in our lives.

The following verse in this context, Jesus tells us to learn from Him. He describes Himself as gentle and humble. And, not only does He have something to teach us, but He has walked that walk Himself. He knows. Following Him is what we should do. Following Him is what we must do.

The problem with opinions is that there are too many and everyone thinks that their opinion is the only one that counts. People can get a bit fussy when you don’t do what they think you should. Running the life of others has become a true profession for many people. The trouble is that often they haven’t run their own life very well. That’s the difference with Jesus. His life was perfection. His words were always timely. He was never out of place. He never had to apologize. He never over stated things. He never spoke out of turn.

I was helping a friend with his budget one day. He brought a sheet of paper with all his numbers and expenses on them. He wanted me to see his numbers. He was interested in trying to save money. I saw that he was tipping nearly 50% for his haircuts. That’s way too high, I told him. Immediately, he said, “that’s what I was told to do.” Yep. Right there, someone’s advice and someone’s opinion. Don’t know who told him that, unless it was the person cutting his hair. And, that shows us that often advice, opinions, and even the experts are not right.

Now, start fitting these thoughts into faith, worship and religion. The experts say, or, I think we ought to…and before long you have a confused mess in the religious community like we do these days. Every opinion is right and nothing is wrong. That’s what we are told.

I am the way, the truth and the life, is what our Lord says. There’s really only one voice that matters, the words of Jesus.

I think the next time I come across another of those, “The experts say,” on Facebook, I’ll just pass right on by. It might do us all a lot of good if we did that.

Roger