Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “Wisdom from Proverbs”
Our Bible verse for today: “Without guidance, people fall, but with many counselors there is deliverance.” Proverbs 11:14 (HCSB)
Our thought for today: “You’re not as smart as you think you are.”
We don’t get very far in our study of the Proverbs before we realize there are certain themes Solomon repeats numerous times. The reason he does that is because the subject is so important. Our need for wise counselors is one of those themes.
In Proverbs 3:5-6 we learned that one of the ways God communicates with us is through the advice of wise and spiritually mature counselors. But if you’re living life like a one-man show, if you think you know it all and therefore don’t need the advice of others, then you’re missing key guidance from the Lord.
The editors of the Daily Walk Bible note that “Proverbs is more than a book on how to be wise. If you choose, it can also be a book on how to be foolish. Every wise course of action to pursue is contrasted with a foolish course of action to avoid.” That’s true and so it’s up to you to choose the wise course and reject the foolish one. In the case of seeking counsel and advice from others, you’re wise if you do it and you’re a fool if you don’t.
History is littered with the wreckage left behind by foolish leaders who were so self-confident that they ignored the advice of their advisors, and therefore ended up making terrible decisions about important issues. Or worse, leaders who were egomaniacs and couldn’t tolerate having people around them with strong and differing opinions. Therefore their circle of advisors was all “yes men” who simply told the leader what he or she wanted to hear.
This applies to individuals too. You can go it alone, as if you already know everything there is to know about everything, or you can seek the advice of spiritually mature counselors. Seeking advice is wise. Going it alone is foolish.
The truth is that none of us are as smart as we think we are. We all need other people to help us think through important decisions and to see things from other perspectives. I encourage you to make it a practice to seek the advice of others. Just be sure to choose those advisors well. Make sure they’re well qualified to give advice and counsel about the issue you’re dealing with.
God Bless,
Pastor Jim
Oak Hill Baptist Church 