There was a time when it seemed every other bike on the road said Honda on
it. And a popular saying was “Hondas are like opinions, everyone has one.”
Today with the reemergence of Harley Davidson, it could be said “Harleys are
like opinions, everyone has one.” Being quick to note that Harleys are not like
Hondas, and based on their reliability, you shouldn’t trust other people’s
opinions either. But yet we thrive on opinions, changing the facts to match
them sometimes, rather than the other way around. And polls will do the same
thing as opinions. When I lost my job, and the nationwide rate was 7.9%, and it
went down to 7.8%, I still wasn’t working and it was still 100% at my house.
Same with crime, I am told crime has gone down, but when my truck tires were
slashed, it was up in my neighborhood, and way up at my house. And it bugs me
when in the midst of tragedy, I am told “cheer up, it could be worse.” And I
cheer up and it gets worse. But the ones I take issue with is those that have
to be positive all the time. “Be glad only one tire is flat.” What are you
nuts? How about if we swap tires, and now yours is flat? And suddenly the mood
changes, and so does the opinion. But my favorite is the 5 cent philosopher who
will argue “is the glass half full or half empty?” I tend to agree with an
engineer friend of mine, “maybe it’s just a poorly designed glass.” Dos that
make me a half wit? Which half have I lost, or retained? Maybe these people
should just go find a village and be its idiot. But that is just my opinion.
Maybe they are just the opposite of half slow...half fast.
But yet when faced with a problem, we seek opinions, or ask Yelp!, or
Angie’s List. Where people voice their opinions. Which can be misleading, as a
recent TV ad for a web site building company advertises it will even include
reviews of your business for you on your new site. How convenient, maybe they
should have bought a Honda. Or a Harley. Free, or rather included in the price
prepackaged opinions? I only hope they are good ones, or is there a surcharge
for better ones? Case in point, a friend approaches me last night, he has a
sport touring bike. He tells his dealer he needs a front tire, the dealer
quotes him a price, then calls back, “that was for an enduro tire, the right one
costs more.” So he asked me my opinion? Buy the right tire, duh? But make
sure it is the right tire, if your dealer can’t tell an enduro from a big sport
tourer...by the way he owns a Honda. Maybe the old saying was right.
In the past two days I have dealt with two different men in two different
situations, who asked advice. My first comment, “have you prayed?” The deer
in the headlight response usually means no. But yet they have asked opinions of
others, and are trying to form their own. They need facts, they need Jesus.
One man was told about the legal ramifications, and he should sue. Good advice
from a lawyer, yet God’s grace tells us meekness, do the right thing when we can
do the wrong thing. Why not seek God first, like Matthew 6 tells us, yet he is
out on an opinion tour. Listening to the lawyer will bring heartache, bills,
and worsen the situation. God is taking him out of it, he is more concerned
about doing the right thing. I go back to what my attorney of many years once
told me, “85% of his business would go away if people used common sense.”
Imagine if we listened to God, maybe 100% would go away! The other friend has a
problem that is a bigger issue, and not knowing, and not knowing anyone, has
been telling too many about it. And is more confused, and making himself look
foolish. I don’t need that kind of help. Both men are seeking answers, but not
seeking God directly. Was it not God who tells us let God be God and all men
liars? Isn’t Jesus called the wonderful counselor? What kind of counsel do you
desire, I want only the best. And that may be my opinion, but it is also a
fact.
Many years ago God told me “do not let other people’s opinions become a
burden to you.” Good, sound advice. But like any good advice, it only works if
taken. So take some good advice here, trust God! For years when I had to make
a decision, I took the Gideon approach. God show me a wet fleece on dry ground,
and then a dry fleece on wet ground to show it is you. For years I relied on
that formula, until one day God’s answer was “why don’t you wit throwing fleeces
and just trust me?” And when I did, my life changed. But you cannot trust
someone you don’t know, so get to know God. Only through Jesus is that
available, that is a fact. Written in God’s word. Jesus is the way. Some of
us get in the way, when we need to get out of the way, and listen to God.
Sometimes the shortest line doesn’t move the fastest. Just because a tire is
black and round doesn’t mean it will fit your bike. And just because you have
been wronged, doesn’t mean you should make it worse by doing another wrong
thing. Life can be like riding, two wrongs don’t make a right, but three lefts
do. Trust God, but keep going. That opinion could just be a just be a poorly
designed reason to fail. Titles and position do make you right. Knowing Jesus
and following his advice will. Only doctors and lawyers still get paid when
they fail. God never fails. And since you cannot afford his bill, he makes it
free. Pro bono, just ask. Pro bono, which is better than Sonny Bono. Just my
opinion.
Today you will make many decisions, some based on previous ones. The last
7 dying words of the church, or those in it can be “we never did it this way
before.” Don’t let that be your epitaph, or your opinion. Trust God. He is
more than Hondas and Harleys, more than us trying to right a wrong. He goes way
beyond rights, and goes right to responsibility. When asked if we are our
brother’s keeper, God wasn’t taking a poll, he was teaching Cain a lesson, one
so important it is recorded in the Bible. Where many good lessons, great
advice, stories of listening to God and succeeding, and also not listening to
God and failing are found. Where you file your next problem is up to you, but
it will show if you trusted God or not? Over the years the counsel God has
given me sometimes was not what I wanted, but it was always what I needed. And
when taken, it worked for me, as all things do when you trust God. But yet we
don’t so God has provided mercy, only available when we screw up. And grace,
described as getting what we don’t deserve, and mercy being not getting what we
deserve.
So let me leave you with this, there is such a thing as a sport enduro
tire. But it may not be what you want or what you need. Ask God...some are
seeking opinions, I’m out riding. Oh, and don’t look back, Mrs. Lot has a lot
to say about that. Now is that glass half full, or half empty? Maybe it really
is just a poorly designed glass. And that’s a fact Jack!
love with compassion,
Mike
matthew25biker.blogspot.com