Whose Counsel?

Knowing whose advice to accept and whose to reject is a massive step in the ladder of success.

The world is literally filled with people who want to counsel anyone and everyone. Often the advice is very much tainted with a variety of contaminants such as ignorance, stupidity, selfishness, prejudice, greed, covetousness, bitterness, etc. The fact that “misery loves company” is a frequent contaminant. Yes, I am infected with several of those contaminants from time to time.

Psalm 1:1-3 sheds much light on the all-important subject of choosing correctly, “How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. 3 He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.” (NASU)

Clearly we are best off when we follow the counsel of those who love and revere God and His commands. One of the common misconceptions of man is that God’s commands are restrictive even to the point of being designed to limit joy and happiness. All of God’s commands are designed for our good. It benefits us to delight in the law of the Lord.

Meditating day and night on the law of the Lord contributes to our well-being. Following the principles found in the Bible causes us to bear fruit and prosper. Our understanding of this passage is dependent on realizing that our idea of fruit and prospering is very often different than God’s. God sees and knows the “big picture” and that includes eternity. Material possessions and temporal blessings may be part of the package but not necessarily.

Psalm 1:4-6 sheds much light on the all-important subject of the perils of choosing badly, “The wicked are not so, But they are like chaff which the wind drives away. 5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. 6 For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the wicked will perish.” (NASU)

We must read verses four through six in light of the fact that they immediately follow three verses which clearly equate wisdom and righteousness with keeping the standards laid down by God. If we do not want to be blown about by the winds of popular opinion we should not accept the counsel of those who have scoffed at the commands of God. If we desire to be able to stand in the day of judgment, we must seek the counsel of those who respect God and His commands.

We humans have a terrible tendency to listen to those we admire because of their prowess or skill in some endeavor that we have enjoyed. Athletes and other entertainers seem to have completely blown away all others in this race to influence individuals and society. Accomplishment in other areas of life seems to matter very little.

Taking moral counsel from people solely based on their entertainment skills is a terrible and dangerous, even life threatening, condition to find yourself in. The airwaves are full of very, very bad counsel from well-meaning but woefully unqualified people. When will we learn that entertainment skill does not equate with moral wisdom?

The principles found in the Bible are good and beneficial. Making moral choices based on any other foundation is inviting disaster.

You can email Pastor Ellison at [email protected].