Hearing Lessons

(Proverbs 11:14 KJV)  Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.

Do you ever get tired of people telling you what you should do?  I can understand that.  It is much easier to write a blog than to read and apply it.  I find that it is too easy for me to avoid “counsel” (guidance NASB) (8458).  Often this is the stubbornness within me that doesn’t want to hear it.  How often have you been around someone and you tell yourself, “I know what they are going to say.”  This can be little more than our sinful nature refusing to listen to the Holy Spirit.

I need worthwhile counsel.  You need worthwhile counsel.  We all need worthwhile counsel.  Even givers of counsel need worthwhile counsel.  Have I covered everyone?  I think the “worthwhile” is covered in the “multitude” (abundance NASB) (7230) principle.

For guidance to be useful you must really want input.  Every second Monday we have a faculty meeting that goes an hour and a half.  One of the mantras that we constantly hear from our fearless leaders is “I wanted to get your input.”  If you have been to these type of meetings you should either be laughing or crying now.  Too often we are like that.  We say we want advice, but we already know what we are going to do.  We seek many counselors because we keep looking until we find someone who will tell us what we want to hear.

For guidance to be useful we also must learn to listen.  Pay attention.  Engage your mind.

Everyone can find the advice they need, but where?   Who is to supply the “guidance” (8458) that people need so much?  It is found in an “abundance” (7230) of “counselors” (3289).  Don’t just think of names.  Think of sources.  The Bible is alive.  It can speak to you.  The Holy Spirit can point out things you have either never seen or forgotten.  The Sunday sermon can speak to you if you will listen.  Podcasts can speak to you.  Blogs can speak to you.  And don’t forget your wife.  God can speak through her.  Really.

So?  Seek counsel.  Listen, think, meditate, apply.