Where Are You Getting Your Advice?

“Where no counsel is, the people fall; but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.” (Proverbs 11:14).
When godly men desire wisdom, the first place where we should go is to God. Nevertheless, God recognizes the importance of men surrounding themselves with other godly men. He said, “In the multitude of counsellors there is safety.” Men with godly wisdom are needed to challenge us, help hold us accountable and guide us back on course when we stray from our commitments. When God blesses us with mature men in our lives, we should not ignore their wisdom, once we have sought it out. In I Kings 12, young King Rehoboam “consulted with the men that stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, and said, ‘How do ye advise that I may answer this people?’” Instead of following the advice that the elders gave, “He forsook the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and consulted with the young men that were grown up with him and which stood before him.” Because King Rehoboam ignored the advice of the elders and treated his subjects with harshness instead of grace, the Hebrew nation split into two kingdoms. We can make similar mistakes when we fail to acquire godly wisdom or ignore the counsel we have been given. Even godly men cannot make it on their own. I have heard it said: “There are no Lone Rangers in the Christian faith.” Even the Lone Ranger had Tonto by his side – what about you? Do you make an effort to surround yourself with mature, godly men, or are you just waiting to fall because of your lack of counsel?

So You Think You Are A Superhero? Really?

“The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.” ( Proverbs 12:15).
Superman, Spiderman, The Green Lantern, Daredevil, The Incredible Hulk … What do they all have in common? They represent the mentality of most men today: we perceive ourselves as superheroes-one man against the entire world. We believe that we possess superpowers, but all too often, our weaknesses – whether to Kryptonite or sin – get the best of us. Rarely do superheroes seek counsel, and men take their cues from their boyhood heroes. We depend on ourselves and make the most of whatever talents and gifts (superpowers) we have and attempt to scrape by. Rarely, do we commit mistakes in our own eyes. When we fail, we usually blame someone else or something beyond our control. If we want to become godly men, we must put away the childish notion that it is us against the world. In the Christian faith, God makes it clear that we are members of an army, not a lone soldier. In fact, we are not even Commander-in-Chief, God is. Christian men must learn to seek out wise counsel from other godly men. We need Christian brothers to guard our flank, our rear, and to point out weaknesses in our battle plan. We are in a spiritual war – a war for the hearts and souls of our wives, children and loved ones. Superheroes cannot win the battle alone. It will take an alliance – a Justice League, if you will – where our weaknesses are covered by our brothers’ strengths. Lord, help us to put aside the superhero mentality and learn to depend on other godly men.

Your Tongue, Your Words and the Power of Death and Life

“The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life: but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.” (Proverbs10:11).
What would our response be if every word we spoke was displayed on one of the gigantic, HD billboards in Times Square? Do you think we would be more careful about what we said? Jesus said: “That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.” (Matthew: 12: 36). For a man whose sins are not under the blood, that should be a scary thought. The following anonymous poem should cause us to stop and ponder our idle words:

If all that we say in a single day, with never a word left out,
Were printed each night in clear black and white,
It would be a strange reading, no doubt.
Then just suppose, ere our eyes we would doze,
We must read the whole record through.
Then wouldn’t we sigh, and wouldn’t we try a great deal less talking to do?
And I more than half think that many a kink
Would be smarter in life’s tangled thread,
If half that we say in a single day were left forever unsaid.

Our words are important, and they carry spiritual power. “Death and life are in the power of the tongue. (Proverbs18: 21). Are our words life, or are they death? Is our mouth a well of life? Do people come to us to receive cool, refreshing words of encouragement from our well of life (our mouth), or do they avoid the bitter, pessimistic, vitriolic words that spew forth from our mouths like arrows shot from a bow? People desire to be around godly men who build them up, speak words of life into their spirits, and encourage them in the faith. Do we have that kind of reputation?

Being Faithful With All We Have

“The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.” (Proverbs11:25).
When God prospers his children financially, it is not solely for their benefit but to give them the resources to finance His Kingdom work and to help others in need. “But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.” (II Corinthians 9:6-8). As we faithfully use what God has given us, He will give us more. He will not entrust to our care more than we can handle, for he gives “to every man according to his several ability.” (Matthew. 25:15). When we are faithful over a few things, He will make us rulers over many things. (Matthew. 25:21). We do not have to worry about our well running dry when we pour out our lives into others. God will fill our well, as we water others. We should not boast or be prideful in doing what is expected of us as believers. The only One who deserves the credit and the glory is God. Paul said: “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth anything, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.” (I Corinthians 3:6-8). May we be faithful with the resources the Lord has given us.

Shine Your Light

“The light of the righteous rejoiceth: but the lamp of the wicked shall be put out.” (Proverbs 13:9).
The Amplified Bible translates today’s proverb: “The light of the [uncompromisingly] righteous [is within him-it grows brighter and] rejoices, but the lamp of the wicked [furnishes only a derived, temporary light and] shall be put out shortly.” It is imperative for godly men to be uncompromisingly righteous. When we begin to compromise our standards of integrity, it is the same as hiding our light under a bushel. Jesus said: “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew. 5:14-16). When a godly man begins to compromise with the world, his light will grow dim. It will grow so faint that it is no longer good for the purpose in which it was intended: to shine light into the darkness. D.L. Moody said: “The Devil does not mind if a man’s heart is divided, but Christ must have it all or none.” When men look at us, what do they see? Are we a beacon on a hill-a lighthouse safely directing men to the Savior? Is our light so bleak that it barely casts a shadow on the world of darkness? Have we compromised to the point that we are no different from ungodly men? If so, then we have lost our savor, and we are good for nothing. Godly men, do not be afraid to be uncompromisingly righteous. Yes, you may lose friends or be called a fanatic, but the lost world needs to see the light of Jesus Christ in us.

"What Are You Talking About?"

“The mouth of the just bringeth forth wisdom: but the froward tongue shall be cut out.” (Proverbs 10:31)
Far too often, we voice every thought that our minds process. I am sure you know someone who verbalizes every creative idea, good or bad thought, absurd speculation, perverted imaginations and unfounded opinion that cross their mind. Instead of filtering his ideas and speaking only what is necessary and profitable, he feels compelled to share every thought and meditation. This kind of man reveals his immaturity and lack of rule over his spirit. He fails to realize that all his thoughts do not originate from his mind. Some thoughts come from our soulish man, some from our spiritual man, a portion from the flesh and others from the pits of hell. Satan constantly shoots fiery darts of temptation, lust and perversion at men. (Ephesians 6:16) We need to pray for discernment to be able to identify and categorize the thoughts that we have that are not Christ-like. In II Corinthians 10:5, Paul exhorts believers to cast down imaginations, thoughts, reasonings and arguments that do not line up with the truth of God’s Word. Any thought that raises itself up against God must be taken captive and brought unto the obedience of Christ. Do not dwell on thoughts and fantasies, godly men, which you know are not pleasing to God. Be careful what thoughts you voice, because once they are spoken, they take on a life of their own. Our words are powerful and can be used for good or evil. May we use our mouths to speak words of wisdom, healing and exhortation.

Are You Still A Bully?

“By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted: but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.” (Proverbs 11:11)
“Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.” (James 3:10) Our words carry the power of life and death. We can wound people with our words, and in some cases, kill their spirits. Frank Peretti’s autobiographical book, The Wounded Spirit, is a must- read for anyone who has struggled with an untamed tongue. His heart- wrenching story recounts how the words of bullies and other insensitive people affected his spirit and self-esteem. He mentions how easy it is for people to criticize and judge others, especially those who are weak or different from the majority. Many men are guilty of the ultimate hypocrisy: we experienced pain and brokenness at the hands of bullies, yet at one time or another, we bullied someone ourselves. Our tendency in the flesh is to tear down others in order to build ourselves up. Unfortunately, some men have never outgrown their playground mentality. They still bully people whenever they can, and they wound anyone they come in contact with. Regrettably, we have bullies in the church who wreak havoc and destruction on the family of God. It is a godly man’s responsibility to protect his brothers and sisters in Christ, as well as to defend the defenseless. He has the duty to guard his own tongue, speak blessing and not cursing and to confront other men who wound with their words.