Seeking Wise Counsel

The culture in our environment influences our attitude and thinking. We are constantly influenced by the information we receive or consume. We are shaped by the counsel we receive from family, friends, and our immediate community. We are bombarded with all sorts of information on social media and we consume a lot of garbage in the form of wise counsel from various sources. I can’t count how many times I have seen fleshly inspired viral tweets and posts that appear enlightening and liberating to the unsuspecting mind. For instance, I have seen people prepare their mind for a turbulent marriage expressing how they will “not tolerate nonsense” from their future partner because of the bad experiences of others in marriage. Instead of learning how to find a godly life partner and preparing for a blissful marriage, they are unconsciously expecting and preparing for a turbulent marriage in their singlehood because of the ungodly information and counsel they have consumed and digested. At some point in our lives, we will need counsel. We will constantly need guidance on how to navigate some of the challenges and opportunities we face in life. We will definitely be offered ungodly or foolish counsel, sometimes unsolicited.

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, and in His law he meditates day and night. – Psalm 1:1-2, NKJV

A blessed man doesn’t walk in the counsel of the ungodly because he can discern ungodly counsel. Many times ungodly counsel may not appear to be ungodly, some people even use the bible to selfishly and erroneously support foolish counsel, what a travesty! Ungodly counsel can come from the media, academic institutions, anecdotes from personal experiences, respected thought leaders, loved ones and directly from the devil. For instance, the devil offered Eve unsolicited ungodly counsel to disobey God (Genesis 3: 1-7), and Eve passed on this ungodly counsel to Adam (Genesis 3:6). The devil in his crafty nature presents ungodly counsel in a subtle but effective form to make it seem like it is not a counsel, thereby masking his intentions “…Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” (Genesis 3:1, NIV). “Is there anywhere in the bible that says you can’t marry two wives?” – Sounds familiar? When he presents ungodly counsel, he also appeals to our fleshly desires; “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:5 NIV). The desire for “opened eyes”, and the desire to be wise and smart has ruined many lives because many people adopt evil counsel to fulfil these desires. Ungodly counsel seeks to feed your flesh and weaken your spirit.

Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.
Colossians 2:8, NKJV

I recall reading a popular book on how to consolidate power, a book I have heard respectable men and even some clergymen quote. My Dad saw this book in my hand and told me to be careful of its contents because some of the highlighted principles don’t align with scripture. Truly, when I used the scripture to examine some of the principles in the book, it became clear I couldn’t live by them if I believe and live by the teachings of Jesus Christ. On the surface, they appeared to be wise counsel but when I dug deeper, they were contrary to the word of God. The blessed man in Psalms 1 who doesn’t walk in the counsel of the ungodly can do so because he discerns ungodly counsel and he can discern ungodly counsel because “his delight is in the law of the Lord and in His law he meditates day and night” (Psalm 1:2).

You will do a better job at discerning ungodly and evil counsel if you delight in God’s word and you dedicate time to reading, studying and meditating on it. I am not in any way suggesting that there are no other sources of sound counsel out there but what I am saying is that when we let the word of God shape the foundation of our values, principles, and actions, we shut the door at ungodly counsel and prevent it from creeping into our lives. For instance, a lot of the counsel we will receive from loved ones may be well intentioned but good intentions don’t necessarily translate to good results. Always learn to ask yourself “what impact will this advice have on my spiritual growth?”, “What other fruits will this introduce into my life”? and “what is the position of God’s word about this?”.

Ungodly counsel seeks to feed your flesh and weaken your spirit. You will do a better job at discerning ungodly and evil counsel if you delight in God’s word and you dedicate time to reading, studying, and meditating on it. Share on X

In 1 Kings 12, After Rehoboam became king, he consulted the elders of Israel. These elders had been successful at advising his father, Solomon. They had a wealth of experience and wisdom that young King Rehoboam could tap from. He consulted them about the policy of his father towards the Northern tribe of a divided Israel (1 Kings 12:6). Earlier, the people had made a demand from King Rehoboam; “Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but now lighten the harsh labor and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you.” (1 Kings 12:4). The elders gave King Rehoboam sound advice; “If today you will be a servant to these people and serve them and give them a favorable answer, they will always be your servants.” (1 Kings 12:7). The elders advised King Rehoboam to be kind to the people and they’ll submit to him. King Rehoboam rejected this advice and consulted his mates and the young men who grew up with him (1 Kings 12:8-9). The young men advised King Rehoboam to increase the labour of the people and rule with an iron fist (1 Kings 12: 10 – 11). He quickly embraced this counsel, it appeared they told him what he wanted to hear. King Rehoboam and Israel paid heavily for this. During his reign, Judah became weakened, there was rebellion and sin became the order of the day.

When we heed foolish counsel, the results can be destructive and catastrophic. The action of King Rehoboam is no different from the actions of many today, we embrace counsel that appeals to what we want to hear and the desires of our heart. If King Rehoboam was truly interested in wise counsel, he wouldn’t have rejected the advice of the elders before seeking other opinions. He would have factored their advice into consideration before making a decision, but he rejected their advice and went shopping for what his flesh wanted.

Who are the friends you keep? Who do you or where do you consult for advice? What actions have you taken based on ungodly counsel? Next time you find yourself confused about a piece of advice, test it with the word of God. Pray to God and He will guide and guard your heart. Talk to wise elders and spiritual leaders who wouldn’t be selfish and seek to impose their decisions on you but will help you come to your own decision through God’s word. When you need guidance in specific areas of your life, don’t shy away from speaking to experts but be sure every recommendation you adopt does not violate your principles and values which are based on God’s word. Be prepared to accept that the world will hate you when you choose not to embrace their traditions, principles and philosophy. My prayer is that at every crossroad in your life when you need to make difficult decisions, when you are under pressure and when you need guidance, the Holy Spirit will minister to your heart and direct you on the right action to take. Amen.