Are You Confused?

When the Roman philosopher Seneca was asked by a friend to give advice on what should be avoided, he did not give the usual warnings about wine, women, or bad influences. Instead, he answered, “You ask me to say what you should consider it particularly important to avoid. My answer is this: a mass crowd. It is something to which you cannot entrust yourself yet without risk…. I never come back home with quite the same moral character I went out with; something or other becomes unsettled where I had achieved internal peace.” Seneca was a man who worked hard to form convictions and guarded his mind against intellectual clutter. In his opinion, the biggest threat to mental clarity was a crowd because the more people you’re around, the more opinions there are to make you question your beliefs. 

Just imagine what Seneca would think about the internet! Talk about a mass crowd! It has been estimated that at any given time, 4.5 billion people are contributing to online interactions. Facebook alone now has over 2.8 billion users.  

Any and every opinion under the sun finds support on the internet. You can find websites arguing that the earth is flat, Facebook posts claiming that 5G causes COVID-19, and blogs dedicated to the existence of fairies. We are more confused than ever because we are always a click away from hundreds of contrary opinions. 

If we are not careful, we will wind up like those described by the apostle Paul in Ephesians 4:14, who were like “children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.” 

We do not have to feel threatened by the crowds. The Bible reveals truth which will anchor our minds to reality. Every idea that confronts us should by judged by God’s Word. Whatever contradicts it must be rejected; whatever can be reconciled with it may be weighed and considered. The Bible is our compass for navigating a world full of competing ideas. 

The Bereans are a good example of how we should discriminate every new idea using the Scriptures. When Paul came to Berea, he brought new information. This could have set the people into a mental whirlwind. But they knew the Scriptures were true. Luke tells us, “Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so” (Acts 17:11). They had a foundation for their thinking that gave them the ability to encounter new ideas without upsetting their whole worldview.  

You do not have to be confused. Let God’s Word be your guide.