“Where no COUNSEL is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.” Proverbs 11:14
How many of us sought counsel this week? What did you seek counsel for? Was it how to fix your washing machine? How to properly hang out clothes on the clothesline to make the most of the space you have? Or maybe it was how to make an irresistible casserole.
Counsel means to seek advice, on a topic that is unknown or that you do not much knowledge on, typically formally, but not always. Attorneys or lawyers are often referred to as counsellors. Counsellors of law do what? They give advice on legal matters, correct?
If I wanted to know more about how to bake a wedding cake, then I would seek counsel from someone who has a lot of experience making wedding cakes, correct? Or if I wanted to know more about how to bake sugar-free desserts, I would seek counsel (advice) from someone who has more experience doing this.
It only makes sense to seek counsel from someone who has the knowledge and expertise that we lack, so why do we too often find ourselves floundering along in our own counsel or seeking it from family, friends, the cashier at the grocery store, and any numerous other ill-chosen choices?
We have already established in our devotion on day 3 that the battles that we face in life are not personal battles (man vs. man, or flesh vs. flesh). No, my friend, they are spiritual battles! So, answer this. Who has the most experience and knowledge about fighting spiritual battles? The Lord, right? We saw that in II Chronicles 20:15.
If we are going to win these spiritual battles, then we must seek counsel from a spiritual standpoint … not some man’s opinion or experience.
1. Seek counsel from God Himself — by taking your burdens, your concerns, your questions, and your trials to God in prayer opens the door of communication to be able to then receive His counsel through the other three means.
2. Seek counsel from God’s Word — there is not a more sure word (II Peter 1:19). In the following numbers, these too must meet this first requirement. Always seek counsel from someone who will give you BIBLICAL answers … scriptural, chapter, and verse answers.
3. Seek counsel from your pastor — keep in mind that he is human, but all pastors should be students of God’s Word to where they have a very good “working-knowledge” of it to be able to deliver sound, biblical advice.
4. Seek counsel from other Christians who are students and stewards of God’s Word — no man will have all the answers but these Christians can definitely give you some guidance through God’s Word as well!