ADVICE

Proverbs 19:20—Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise.

Are there times when we know either from God’s Word or from the Holy Spirit’s leading what we are to do, and do not proceed because of insecurity or a unwilling heart? If I sense the Lord directing me and choose instead to go after the advice of others, I may miss what God has for me.

Today I faced a decision. My wife knew what course I should take. I was not excited about proceeding. So I asked other good friends who also are spiritually wise. They agreed with my reasoning and affirmed my course of action. So why did I feel so unsettled?

I called another friend and asked his counsel. He shared a different perspective. Then I realized what I had known from the beginning—I was attempting to avoid what God wanted me to do by gathering counsel that fit my desire! As I shared with my wife what I felt God was saying (which lined up with her conviction), she elaborated more fully why she felt the way she did. Suddenly, my feelings no longer mattered. God’s way is the right way—always!

Proverbs 12:15 says, "The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice." We are to be commended for seeking counsel. We are wise to seek direction. But when God speaks to us, woe unto us if we don’t obey because we chose instead to follow the opinions of others. The best advice is to do what God says. If we are not sure of His leading then we seek help from those who love Him!

Inspiration

Never ask the advice of another about anything God makes you decide before Him.—Oswald Chambers in My Utmost For His Highest