ONE STAR REVIEWS
Proverbs 18:2 & 13 NLT
2 Fools have no interest in understanding;
they only want to air their own opinions.
13 Spouting off before listening to the facts
is both shameful and foolish.
More devotional clickbait. But seriously, as a general rule, I do not pay attention to one star reviews. As a church, we occasionally get one star reviews, but often they are from people who are angry and do not understand all the facts. We are by no means perfect, but we are not one star material. The reason I say that is because of what Jesus said in Luke 6:43 NLT: "A good tree can't produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can't produce good fruit." God has done some amazing things over the years at The Ark. I regularly speak with people who came to Christ or had their loved ones come back to the Lord through the church. I am not boasting about myself; I am acknowledging that God has used the church to bless many in our area. One star trees don't produce good fruit.
So the proverb says a foolish person does not want to understand the facts. They just want to air their opinions. As soon as I read that, I thought of the comment sections and reviews that I have seen online. I honestly pay much more attention to 2-3 star reviews than the one stars. Maybe it is because I have been in a service providing industry, and I am responsible for the bottom-line results. When there are misunderstandings, I cringe. When things are not handled right, I feel it. But I am appreciative of the people who at least try to understand before issuing a harsh critique.
Which brings us to the second proverb. Speaking or posting before listening and understanding the facts is not wise. The NLT version, which is often blunt and to the point, says it's shameful and foolish. Even if you are anonymous, it's still not a wise thing to do. The Proverbs is a divinely inspired book of wisdom we can build our lives upon. The Proverbs provide guidance that is not outdated or irrelevant to modern culture. The wisdom in this book can help us in all areas of our lives, from the development of wisdom to creating good environments and getting along with people. I believe it is the best business book ever written because it teaches us how to interact with others and how to govern our own lives.
When I think of these two verses for today, I also think of something that Jesus said in Luke 6:31 NLT: "Do to others as you would like them to do to you." We all want to be understood. We all want the benefit of the doubt. We want people to see our heart, not simply spout off without hearing our perspective. So the wise thing to do is give this to others. We listen and seek to understand before sharing our opinion. We may not have as much to say, but when we do speak, we'll have a better chance of being heard.