Closed-minded people don't want to hear the opinions of another whether it's based on fact or not. Opinionated people are not necessarily closed minded, but many are. Speaking for myself there are many things where my mind is open and many where it's closed!
Romans 6:13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin: but yield yourselves to God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.
"Yielding" is "surrendering"! If one surrenders they are certainly not close minded. If one surrenders themselves to sin they are open-minded and if they surrender themselves to God, again, they are open-minded. My own "standing" is that I have surrendered my life to God and as such have been open-minded. Being obedient to God was certainly not something I wanted to be, but God presented a good case. He had his facts straight and they were fair!
At times I have surrendered to unrighteousness. I have sinned. Again, that's open-minded, but that doesn't make it a good thing. Being open-minded can be a negative attribute or a positive one. However, in God's eyes obedience to him is what he demands (Yes, those "politically correct" see God as closed-minded and intolerant).
Romans 6:17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you".
In regard to sin, even when I do, where once I was open to many unrighteous things, I'm now closed to the same. Since I now make an strong attempt at obedience to God, I'm now closed-minded in that regard. I stand firm in my faith. I'm closed-minded to permissiveness:
Hebrews 3:6 "But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end."
God asked us to be strong in our faith. We are to "hold fast the confidence". That's closing our mind to distractions from God. Our OPINION is to be "firm unto the end". I take it as a compliment when a person says "Your opinions about God are firm!" (Enemies intend to insult with that statement. Christian friends to compliment... and with the same words!). God has made me "close-minded". It's his gift to me! It's called "faith".
In other regards my being "opinionated" is negative. Sometimes I perceive that people are on the attack and I close-off the conversation. Sometimes my perceptions are wrong and I'm being negatively-dispositioned. However, just because I do have strong opinions about God and his teachings does not make being opinionated bad. We can open ourselves up to false teachings and be misled. We are to test everything:
1 John 4:1 (NIV) "Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world."
In everything you read, hear, see and feel, test that sensation. Is it of the Holy Spirit? Is it God's word? What would Jesus do? Is that what a Christian should believe? (etc.). By "testing" opinion what would be a closed-mind is a now wise mind. Being closed-minded about taking poison is wisdom, not ignorance!
My"disposition" is to be opinionated. However, that's not my "pre-disposition". Being born with a sinful nature, my pre-disposition is to sin, basically being open-minded to the deception of Satan. Hence, I have a negative pre-disposition to not obey God. I was pre-dispositioned to close my mind to God and pre-dispositioned to open my mind to folly!
However, thanks to the prevenient grace of the Holy Spirit, my predisposition was weakened so that my mind be opened, I accepted God because I'm "open-minded to the call of the spirit".
2 Thessalonians 2:14 "Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ."
I responded when "he called (me) by our gospel". The gospel is the good news about Jesus. Hence, the spirit opened my mind just a crack and I became sensitive to the saving truth of Christ. He knocked. I answered!
For my being "opinionated", yes I am. That's my disposition. That's a personality trait I have. It is both good and bad based on whether I'm being righteous or not!
Some people's dispositions are toward "kindness and love" or "meanness and uncaring". Christians are called to be humble, merciful, gentle, have charity, patient, loving and concern, some of those mentionedin this verse:
Colossians 3:12 "Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;"
It is positive to say "That person is loving and kind!" However, I was watching a television reality show the other evening. Regardless of what the team members said, this selfish young lady responded negatively! She was mean in her answers to people who were even trying to help her. Her disposition was to inclined to be mean-spirited, unkind and non-caring. That is the pre-disposition of most people since we're all born sinners. It was obvious that this young lady either never committed her life to Jesus, or if she did, she wasn't being obedient. God doesn't tolerate hateful behavior!
I've seen people who have a negative tone of voice. You can tell by the pitch and inflection of their voice that they despise you or despise what you're saying. Even when you say something positive they read it wrong and come back with a "jab". They are negative, cranky, self-inflated, egotistical and judgmental. What do they need? A little obedience to God. They need joy in their life!
Romans 14:17 "For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost."
The "Kingdom of God" is the "will of God". It's not what's in it for the Christian. It's not "getting your own way" or "everyone bowing to your whims". It's about peace and joy! That young lady the other evening had no peace! Joy was not hers. She made everyone around her as miserable as she seemed to be. Misery begets misery. If you make everyone around you miserable, you're going to be miserable. Your disposition is going to be that of a miserable person and you'll be contagious: people will respond in kind... just as you are, and you'll wonder "Why is this other person so disagreeable and stupid?" It's because you are!
As with all negativity to mankind, the answer to your malady lies in the Lord. Obey the Lord, trust in him and joy will be yours!
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