“Just do it!”
“Follow your heart!”
“Just look out for Number One!”
“You don’t have to put up with that!”

We receive advice all of the time; some solicited and some not; some earthly and some Godly. We receive it from our friends, our family members, and from the Media. We receive it from co-workers, from self-help gurus, from random “friends” on Facebook and Twitter, and even from complete strangers.Theyallhaveadviceonwhat we should do in any given circumstance.

In the midst of this barrage of counsel, we are forced to choose whose advice to trust. Too often, we choose whatever seems easiest or most convenient or most profitable. But often, those directions that “feel best” are not the most beneficial. So we’re stuck in this quandary: how do we separate Godly counsel from earthly wisdom?

GET FAMILIAR WITH THE REAL THING!

If you ever pay for something using cash (surely some of you do!), you have seen the cashier mark on your $20 bill with a counterfeit marking pen. Those pens contain an iodine solution that shows whether the bill is actually printed on “Treasury Department paper.” Before those pens were invented, cashiers and bank tellers were trained in how to spot counterfeit money with their eyes. In their training, they didn’t study the fakes. They studied the real bills, extensively examining the small details that would authenticate it. When they knew what was true, they could recognize a fake. While there are literally millions of ways counterfeit money can look, there is only one way that real money looks.

In the same way, we can identify bad counsel by studying what Godly counsel looks like. Once we recognize the real thing, counterfeits are a lot easier to spot.

So what are the marks of Godly counsel? Here are a couple of things to keep in mind:

GODLY WISDOM IS FOUND IN THE BIBLE

A concordance search for the word “wisdom” will lead you to many rich Scripture passages. The Bible is literally packed with Godly wisdom, including an entire book (Proverbs) devoted to wise counsel alone! Our primary source of wisdom should be the Bible, but it doesn’t have to be the only source.

GODLY WISDOM COMES THROUGH GODLY PEOPLE

Is there a person you know who you can trust to give good counsel? You probably know someone who is mature in his/her Christian walk, who internalizes the lessons of Scripture and applies them to life. These are people who have learned from their own successes and failures through the years, and so have a Godly perspective to share with others. These people may not always say what you want to hear, but they do always tell you what you need to know. In fact, we sometimes avoid going to these people precisely because they will tell us what is right instead of tickling our ears.

God uses these people in a mighty way. Value them. One reason that God puts us in relationship with one another is so that we can help point each other to truth. So seek out these people and learn from them. Remember, we never value the advice of a person over the teaching of Scripture, but Godly advice that leads you to Scriptural truth is as precious as gold. It is also just as rare.

WORLDLY WISDOM

Of course, the opposite is true as well – earthy “wisdom” is cheap... and prevalent. Look at how James describes the “wisdom” of this world: “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such ‘wisdom’ does not come down from Heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the Devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.” (James 3:13-16)

James says that the wisdom of our culture is Earthly. In other words, it can’t see past the immediate. It is perpetually trapped in the moment. This kind of wisdom is also unspiritual. It doesn’t recognize God. It can’t see Truth. Of course, James rips off any remaining façade by saying that this kind of “wisdom” is from the Devil. It is the same “wisdom” that Adam and Eve embraced in Eden and that so many continue to accept without question.
That explains why those who follow culture’s advice struggle as they go through life. When people listen to the wrong advice, they invite anguish and suffering into their lives. And by the time they realize what a foolish choice was made, they are stuck with the results. Worst of all, this bad advice often gets passed on to others... and they suffer for it.

WHO HAS YOUR EAR?

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