Monday, 14 May 2012

A GOLD MINE WAITING TO BE EXPLORED – SEEKING COUNSEL


God is very deliberate about what He does. He is very skilled and also pays attention to details. He knows all things and ensures that no one person knows everything so that we would not only have to depend on one another but would all have to depend on Him. I guess if one person knows all things, then he might as well be God. One of the things that make God who He is is the fact that He knows all things. No man knows all things; for no man is able to tell the end from the beginning.

1 Corinthians 13: 9-“For we know in part and we prophesy in part.”

Since nobody knows all things, we would have to learn from one another and most of all from God. This is the reason we all need counsel from time to time. The bible does say “in the multitude of counsel, there is safety”. Seeking counsel helps us learn from other people’s experiences so that we can avoid some pitfalls of life. Also, the things God has shared with a mentor, He expects you to learn from them and not to come seeking the same information from Him. However, our challenge often is with the choice of counselor and whether or not we ourselves are “in the spirit” as we listen so as to discern anything the enemy might slip in if he finds opportunity to.  

Psalm 1:1-2a “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.” 

We must be very careful where we go for counsel. Your counselor does not have to be your best friend, family or parent. Indeed, sometimes they are the worst people to receive counsel from; because they love you too much to see clearly in any situation that concerns you. It is best to choose a counselor that fears God, is mature in the things of God, pays attention to details and is not often beclouded by emotions. Maturity in the things of God is very important for a counselor. There are things that God allows us glean from experience.

2 Chronicles 10: 6 “Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who stood before his father Solomon while he still lived, saying, how do you advise me to answer these people?”

Of course we know Rehoboam rejected their counsel and instead went for the counsel of his friends as a result of which he paid a very costly price. Whilst you are receiving counsel, the onus is still on you to ensure that you accept only what aligns with the call of God on your life. I know the office to which God has called me so if I am being counseled by an evangelist for example; I must be able tell when He begins to interpret what God expects of me in relation to the call of God on His own life. It was Rehoboam who lost a portion of his kingdom and not the counselors.

As counselors, we must be able to set aside our emotions and counsel according to the word and will of God for the counselee’s life. We must recognize that God does not want the person to be like you so you need to tap into the mind of God so you can accurately interpret God’s counsel for each person as you counsel. Remember you will give an account to God for every counsel that you give.

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