The Truth About Lenses and Opinions

A look at Psalm 73

Opinions—we all have them. I will reframe from saying what they say about opinions, but you probably know the quote. The problem with opinions is that they are usually based upon our soul’s faulty beliefs instead of God’s truth. Opinions are formed from our culture, our environment growing up, living in this fallen world, and man’s wisdom. Opinions are the ways of the flesh. They come from our soul man, or Adam nature, where the truth and the Word of God have not renewed our mind.

Both believers and unbelievers make decisions daily based on their opinions, based on what we think is best. We fail to ask God for His thoughts.

In Psalm 73, the Psalmist struggles with what he sees around him: the wicked are prospering, and those living a righteous life seem to have no advantage. This causes him to express his frustration and his opinions to God. But something happens to him in verse 17 that interrupts his rant.

But then one day I was brought into the sanctuaries of God, and in the light of glory, my distorted perspectives vanished (TPT).

As he enters God's presence, he realizes that his way of seeing things is inaccurate. Did you know that you have lenses and filters through which you view God, life, yourself, and the world? These lenses keep us trapped in sin, ungodly ways of thinking, pride, rebellion, and oppression. The problem with these lenses is we do not know they are there. We think it is just the way we are, just the way our personality developed, or just the way the world works. These lenses will lead us to form opinions contrary to God’s ways, thoughts, and heart. Satan and his minion of demons love to attach themselves to our opinions and create strongholds. These strongholds then create bondage in our lives where we are trapped in the prison of our own thoughts. We will stay in these prisons unless we are willing to come before the Lord in humility and repentance and allow Him to search our hearts and reveal to us what we are thinking. What lenses are we viewing life through? What opinions are we dearly holding onto that are causing death in our soul, our relationship with Him, our destiny, and our relationship with others? We must be willing to let God reveal to us our lenses and opinions.

This is what happens to the Psalmist in Psalm 73.

17 But then one day I was brought into the sanctuaries of God, and in the light of glory, my distored perspective vanished.

21 When I saw all of this, what turmoil filled my heart, piercing my opinions with your truth.

22 I was so stupid. I was senseless and ignorant, acting like a brute beast before you, Lord.

23 Yet, in spite of all this, I still belong to you; you hold me by my right hand.

24 You lead me with your secret wisdom. And following you brings me into your brightness and glory!

Psalm 73:17, 21-24, TPT

It was the glory of God, which came from His presence, that broke through the Psalmist’s opinions and shattered the lens through which he saw the world around him. He realized that his opinions were nothing more than foolishness and turned to follow God's secret wisdom.

As we continue in this month of repentance and Teshuvah, we should follow the Psalmist's example and ask the Lord, “Where are my opinions overriding your truth? Where am I seeing through faulty lenses that give a distorted view?” Listen for His answer and be willing to turn from those mindsets.

We can also pray this passage for those we are contending for to come to salvation and surrender to the Lord. It is their lenses and opinions that are keeping them bound in unbelief. Their minds have been darkened, so they can not see the light of the truth of the gospel (2 Corinthians 4:3-4). We can ask the Father to send the Holy Spirit to encounter them so their distorted perspectives will vanish and their opinions will be pierced with the truth.

May God reveal to us and those for whom we pray the truth about our opinions and lenses. May we see with God’s eyes and with His perfect vision.

Blessings,

Brandee