Sometimes I question if anything exists that people don’t disagree about. No matter where you are, there are always opposing views – one claiming it’s wrong, the other claiming it’s right. 

Some say the world is round, others believe it’s flat. Some say the war in Israel is wrong, others say it’s God’s people who are being attacked. Same-sex marriage? One group says it’s ok, the other group rolls their eyes. 

These different opinions are tearing families apart – brothers and sisters no longer speak to each other. Churches split and new congregations are formed, just because they disagree about something. 

Political tensions in some countries reach a point where people kill each other because of their different opinions – because everyone believes only their way of thinking is right. 

Even in our faith, there are different views: some say a little water is enough for baptism, while others want a total immersion. And, of course, everyone believes they have the correct interpretation. 

People who lived on Earth soon after Jesus and wanted to strengthen their faith had a very difficult time. Some believed He was the Saviour, and others didn’t believe at all. 

The people who saw and experienced the coming of the Holy Spirit themselves shared it far and wide. But some could not accept it – they said it was just fairy tales. 

John warns the believers and tells them to be careful. It is their responsibility to make sure that the people they believe in and follow are on God’s side. 

1My dear friends, don’t believe everything you hear. Carefully weigh and examine what people tell you. Not everyone who talks about God comes from God. There are a lot of lying preachers loose in the world. 

Things are not much different today. Some people claim that their message is inspired by the Spirit, but soon you find out that you’ve lost your money and that their promises have vanished into thin air. 

I still remember the man who walked into our office at the factory. He attended church services with us. He prayed with us, but before we knew it, he had opened his own factory and became our biggest opposition. 

There are many people who tell different stories. Some of them make us doubt ourselves and our faith. This can make you wonder if you’re good enough for heaven, and it makes you afraid and uneasy. 

We need to be careful not to let people confuse us. It’s our responsibility to figure out if someone is truly speaking from God. If what they say comes from God, then it’s fine. But if it’s not from Him, we must let it go – throw it away, it has nothing to do with the truth. 

Scripture
1 John 4:1-7 

Reflection
Do I allow other people to make me doubt my faith or worth?
Do I measure what people say against God’s Word, or do I just believe everything?
How can I make sure I’m listening to the right voices? 

Prayer
Father, I realise that I have a responsibility to make sure that others do not deceive me. Help me to make sure before I believe again and follow others. Amen.