Proverbs 20:5
Though good advice lies deep within the heart, a person with understanding will draw it out.
Beloved,
We have already established that right counsel is counsel that is rooted in the word of God. And as the scripture above advises, you must be intentional about obtaining it. Today we look at more factors that indicate if the counsel is wise or not so we don’t find ourselves drawing from the wrong sources. Let’s look at this case example below:
Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who had served his father Solomon during his lifetime. “How would you advise me to answer these people?” he asked. They replied, “If today you will be a servant to these people and serve them and give them a favorable answer, they will always be your servants.” But Rehoboam rejected the advice the elders gave him and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him. He asked them, “What is your advice? How should we answer these people who say to me, ‘Lighten the yoke your father put on us’?”
I Kings 12: 6-8
Read on further and as you may have already gathered, heeding the advice of his peers over the advisement of the wise and more experienced men cost him an entire kingdom. How can you avoid making such a grave error that can cost you everything? You must keep to God’s word. He warns us on where not to take counsel from:
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.
Psalm 1: 3
Wise counsel will always render you fruitful, and give you a sense of balance and confidence. It will always match up with the word of God and what you know about the destiny He has called you to.
In addition to alignment with the word of God, right counsel will be consistent with God’s word that is in your heart. Before we go further, I implore you to keep a strong prayer life that is rooted in God’s word (Psalm 1:2). Build the habit of hearing God. Feed your spirit much more than your flesh (Psalm 1). This will help you to be more sensitive to His will and path for your life’s journey.
Another factor you must consider when taking counsel from others is that it should be consistent with the destiny God has ordained for your life.
You can take counsel from friends, but not just any friends. You must be sure they have your best interest at heart and not their own. The Bible says this:
Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.
Proverbs 27:6
You can take counsel from those who genuinely have a wealth of expertise and experience in an area. When you do, be sure that what you take from them is well-presented, balanced and selfless. In our original example above, the elders who the king first sought counsel from laid out clear sensible information based on their experience with His father, who, for the most part enjoyed a peace-filled kingdom.
Lastly, you can take counsel from the a God-ordained mouth that is over your life. Let’s look at a scripture:
Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have ordained strength, because of Your enemies, that You may silence the enemy and the avenger.
Psalm 8:2
This informs us that right counsel can even come from children! God is wise enough to put what we need where it is safe. We only must be sensitive enough to discern where to find it. Beloved, do not make the mistake of taking advice from just any source. Your life is far too precious to gamble with. God has made it clear how we can recognize the counsel we need to keep us safe and take us further in life.
I commend you to God and to the word of His grace.
I call you blessed. I call you NATIONS.
