LET GODLY COUNSEL GUIDE YOU

We all need counsel from time to time. I know some people think they know it all so they don’t need any form of guidance but it is self-deceit. Some such people even pretend like they want counsel, they go to people pretending like they would listen to them, even sit through an entire session asking questions and pretending to listen but they hear nothing because they already determined in their hearts what they will do. It is sad when born again believers do this. The issue is therefore, more than seeking counsel; it is paying attention to it and letting the right counsel influence our lives and/or decisions. 

Proverbs 11: 14 “Where there is no counsel, the people fall; But in the multitude of counselors there is safety.”

Of course, you and I have a responsibility to ourselves to ensure that as we seek counsel, we are praying that the people we go to will speak the mind of God. It is absolutely important that counsel is rooted in the wisdom of God. So as we seek counsel, we must pay enough attention to ensure that we do not accept counsel that is only rooted in the wisdom of man. It is sad also that sometimes even when we seek counsel, we manage the information we give the counselors to get them to unknowingly validate what we already planned to do. Sometimes, the intention is to blame the act on the counselor if the consequences are in the negative but the truth is you bear the responsibilities for your decisions even when it is based on someone else’s counsel. 

Proverbs 8; 14 “Counsel is mine and sound wisdom.”

The bible tells the story of Rehoboam (Solomon’s son) who needed counsel and chose the counsel of his friends above that of the elders who sat in his father’s presence. Of course, the young men were irresponsible and childish. The onus was on Rehoboam to think through the counsel which he didn’t do as a result of which he lost a huge portion of his kingdom. Unfortunately, his counselors lost nothing from the counsel. Indeed they had no kingdoms to loose. So it is of absolute importance who we take counsel from. We can lose our total inheritance in Christ because of where we get counsel.

Psalm 1: 1 “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly”

Proverbs 24: 6a “For by wise counsel, you will wage your own war.”

The truth of life is that the people we spend a lot of time with will impact our lives. Associations or friendships are very important because as we commune often, we take in things we say to one another inadvertently and one is eventually influenced by these things. Who knows, maybe Judas shared his dislike for Jesus with some people who encouraged it which ultimately pushed him to do what led to his taking his own life. My guess is that he did not start out planning to kill Jesus but as his dislike grew, the devil found a willing partner in him. The thing to note is that he finally took his own life. We are not told that anyone died with him. You must take the responsibility for your life seriously.