I’ve “done my research!” Riiiiiiiight….

It always makes me cringe to see people insisting they’ve “done their research.” More often than not, their “research” consists of some article or video made by someone with an OPINION after supposedly doing THEIR “research”, and gleaning ideas from someone else with an opinion….

I’m reminded of this passage whenever someone arrogantly insists they have “done their research”….

2 Timothy 3: 6. For of them are they who creep into this and that house and captivate the women who are plunged in sins and led away by divers lusts, 7. who are always learning, and can never come to the knowledge of the truth. (AENT)

Always learning, never coming to the knowledge of the truth. WOW! That describes MYRIADS, doesn’t it? While the above speaks about gullible women, it certainly applies to men, as well.

The thing is, everyone has the ability to influence others - who then go out and influence others who influence others, and so on. That’s how rumors and wars get started!

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not just talking about the ordinary “Joe off the street” doing the influencing; as there are plenty of people with actual credentials in their respective fields, voicing and sharing their personal OPINIONS. (Truth is, just because someone has a diploma or a degree in their chosen field, doesn’t mean they automatically have “common sense” - which is pretty much a requirement to make it through life properly…).

Be that as it may, OPINIONS are different from actual, scientific proof and knowledge.

For instance, you’ve all seen the push by many self-proclaimed “experts” to get people to stop using what they refer to as “big pharma” (man-made medicines) and start taking only “natural” products to help control or cure whatever ails them.

That’s all fine and dandy. I’m all for “natural” myself. However, the truth is, MYRIADS have been hospitalized or even died BECAUSE they followed someone’s OPINION on social media, concerning natural remedies! (I'm not lying; you can Google it yourself.)

FULL DISCLOSURE: I have to count MYSELF among the gullible, too! With all my knowledge, college education AND common sense, I am guilty of participating in the “natural” kick, too. I always “do my research” AND normally follow instructions because I know that, while “natural” is good – it CAN just as much damage as "big pharma" IF NOT TAKEN PROPERLY!

Notice I said I “normally” follow instructions….

You see, I recently caused myself to land in a local Emergency Room with severe HEART AND BLOOD PRESSURE PROBLEMS (verified via an “abnormal” electrocardiogram) BECAUSE I, in my “great wisdom,” thought I could cure myself of a couple of health issues if I were to increase my daily Zinc and Magnesium dosages.

Problem was, I didn’t bother reading the side effects of an over-abundance of these chemical elements – both of which have a long list of side-effects that include stomach pain, vomiting, an irregular heartbeat, low blood pressure, breathing difficulties and … cardiac arrest. (In other words, I could have DIED from these "natural" products!)

Well, on my way home – thanking YHWH for keeping me alive that day - I tried to figure out what was going on. I do have heart problems (after all, that’s why I have a pacemaker). But then it hit me … perhaps I had been over-dosing on Zinc and Magnesium?

A quick Google search on the side-effects confirmed it. Lesson learned.

Anyway, I hope you all will get the gist of what I am trying to get across - which is that, along with hard work and diligence, one must use plenty of common sense AND discernment (the kind that only the Ruach haKodesh [Holy Spirit] can provide), when doing one’s “research” on ANYTHING!

We must think PAST our own biases and stop seeking “like-minded people” with opinions that match ours - because reading an article or watching someone’s video does NOT make us “experts” on any given subject!

NO ONE is an expert in the fields of virology, epidemiology, nutrition, biology, or anything else UNLESS they’ve actually taken plenty of college-level courses on a particular subject, where they were forced to STUDY that subject in order to gain an intimate knowledge of it!

(Compare this to the Bible: I mean - does anybody really have a right to discuss (much less TEACH) the Bible if they’ve (1) never read it; or (2) spent their life just reading certain passages or skipping around between the chapters, never actually having bothered to read it FROM COVER TO COVER? Well, the same goes for anything else that we think we have the right to influence others on!)

The bottom line is this:

The Bible gives us plenty of insight about human nature – and what we can know from that insight is that we live in a FALLEN WORLD where bad things happen; AND that many people CATER TO THE ADVERSARY (knowingly or unknowingly – as is hugely evidenced on social media platorms!). And they do it by following whatever “sounds good” or “feels right” to them - erroneously mistaking as "knowledge" whatever they may have read or heard; thus, becoming an instant "expert"...

So, here's my suggestion to keep YOU from following the Adversary:

Don’t ever blindly believe some “cool-sounding” self-proclaimed teacher/preacher; or some fame-and-glory-seeking glutton. Educate yourself and BECOME KNOWLEDGEABLE by first studying the Bible, from cover to cover, so you can TRULY come to KNOW our amazing CREATOR and what HE has been trying to teach humanity since the day life was breathed into the first human being.

That “knowledge” – plainly stated – consists of: Don’t be an opinionated fool. Study the Word and obey/live by Abba’s Divine Instructions (Torah). Think, use common sense, and view EVERYTHING through lens of the Ruach BEFORE opening your mouth!

Proverbs 14:6 A scoffer seeks wisdom in vain, but knowledge comes easily to someone with discernment. (CJB)

Proverbs 14:33 Wisdom is at rest in a person with discernment, but in fools it has to call attention to itself. (CJB)

Proverbs 17:16 Why would a fool wish to pay for wisdom when he has no desire to learn? (CJB)