Proverbs 11:14 says, “Where there
is no counsel the people fall; but in the multitude of counselors there is
safety.” God often uses what other people say to us to speak to us. Sometimes we will go to them to ask
their advice and we do well to seek the counsel of those who are wise in the
ways of God. Sometimes the other
person has no idea that they are saying something that has the potential to
change our lives.
I remember a time when Tony and I
both sensed from the Lord that we were to sell the house we were living in and
to do something very specific with the money that was raised. We told no one what we were considering. The following Sunday, a brand new
Christian was speaking for the first time in a meeting. During his brief talk, he twice used
the example, “It would be just like if the Lord told Tony and Felicity that
they were to sell their house and give the money to…” and went on to describe
exactly what we were thinking the Lord wanted us to do with the money. We were astounded by how specific God
could be.
How often has someone said
something in passing that grabs our attention? To the person speaking, he has said nothing unusual, but the
Lord uses it to change our thinking about a certain issue. For example, recently someone mentioned the word authority in the
context of discipleship. It was a
throwaway sentence. But the Lord
has used it to lead me into a study on the authority that we have as disciples
within the Kingdom. How do we gain
the authority to heal the sick, cast out demons, cleanse lepers, and raise the
dead (Matthew 10:8)? It has the
potential to change the way I think about these things.
2 replies on “When others advise us”
Great topic. I happen to be “using” that very same verse right now. I have been struggling recently with following through on some spiritual disciplines, that I really feel led to pursue. But in weak moments, my mind presents some bad but convincing arguments that it’s just not “real” if I don’t “feel like it”. I’ve been using that verse to remind myself, that a host of people, both current and historical ~ whose relationship with God I admire, reccomend “showing up” for these disciplines whether I “feel like it” or not. Using that verse, and considering the counsel of MANY on the subject, has helped me to overcome the temptation to place undue importance on my “feel like it” in this particular issue. And I really relate to part b of this verse, that calms my fear that I might be on the wrong track or wasting my time, etc. When I consider the vast number of worthy counselors who encourage me to walk this out, I feel SAFE in re-committing to it when my own conviction wavers.
As the Lord was leading us to develop the CO2 (church of two) concept, the importance of the counsel of Godly people was central. In a CO2, I connect with my partner every day (Heb. 3:13) around two spiritual practices. One of those practices is listening to God’s voice. So, when I talk to my partner each day I say something like, “Here’s what I think I heard the Lord say to me today. What do you think?” On a daily basis I am inviting counsel and asking my friend to “weigh” what I’m hearing.
By using the CO2 as a primary tool for discipling, these rhythms or practices of listening to God directly and asking for counsel become a regular part of life for new disciples.