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?