Be Careful Who You Listen To
God • Family • Country
In a world flooded with voices, Christians must learn which ones are worth hearing.
We live in a world where countless voices compete for our attention, each claiming to have the answers. Every swipe, click and scroll exposes us to another voice eager to shape the way we think. Whether it comes from social media, podcasts, television, friends or public figures, Scripture reminds us that not every voice deserves our trust.
What we look at, listen to and consume matters. These things not only influence our thoughts but also impact our hearts and souls. Jesus says in Matthew 6:22-23, “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.” Before we form an opinion based on someone else’s commentary, it is essential to guard our hearts from bad sources. Scripture tells us in Proverbs 4:23, “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.”
The most important thing we can do when guarding our hearts is to ask God for wisdom and discernment. One of the central themes of the Book of Proverbs is wisdom, and we learn that wisdom only comes from God. We must continually ask God to grant us wisdom for all aspects of life, including guarding our hearts from what we watch, listen to and read.
Before we form an opinion or allow ourselves to be influenced by someone, it is important to take a step back and figure out the goal of that person and their content. Is it to be informative? Is it to influence people to a certain view? Is it to make as much money as possible, disregarding all morals? Is it to be subversive to divide people? Sometimes, someone’s goals can quickly become apparent through their content; other times, they are more difficult to discern. Asking God for wisdom and being smart, informed consumers can help us ascertain the motives behind someone’s content.
Obviously, not all commentators or media personalities are Christians or even profess to be. Yet portraying oneself as a Christian to gain trust and attract clicks on social media has become increasingly common. Some even do this intentionally to sow division among followers of Christ. From Scripture, we know that there will be many false teachers and people who will claim to follow Christ but bear no fruit. Jesus tells us in Matthew 7:21, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” We can never truly know a person’s heart or whether they are saved; that judgment belongs to God. However, we can carefully examine that person’s actions and words for discernment, using Scripture as a guide.
In an age of infinite media, it is more essential than ever to be careful who we listen to. There are voices in the media at seemingly every turn seeking to mislead, divide or manipulate. Many online platforms reward outrage, controversy and sensationalism, creating incentives for people to prioritize attention over truth. Millions of dollars are made every year through clickbait, ragebait and even paid propaganda campaigns to influence people’s viewpoints. The voices we allow into our minds will eventually influence the condition of our hearts. As Christians and conservatives, we must continually guard our hearts against worldly influence and ask God to guide us and give us wisdom and discernment. Our ultimate source of truth is not found in the opinions of man but in the wisdom of God.
All Scripture quotations are from the English Standard Version (ESV) unless otherwise noted.