Who are You Listening to?

 

“The wisdom of the shrewd person is to discern his way,
but the folly of fools is deception.”
Proverbs 14:8

 As we go through life, we face decision points. They are like forks in the road that will determine our future path. It might be a change in career path, you might be inviting someone to come live with you, you might be considering a substantial investment. I’m not talking about the classic, “What’s for dinner?” questions, although to be honest if I had good counsel available for that I’d certainly seek it! What I’m considering are the larger, life-altering decisions we face at different points in our paths. How do you face decisions like this?

 What does the Bible have to say about decisions like this? A lot! You’d be surprised how many verses I found! It turns out that God cares about this stuff and He really wants to provide us with all that we need to do the right thing. Go figure! It sounds like one of the most important aspects of approaching a decision is to consider it. Don’t just go with your gut or fly off half-cocked. Slow down. As with anything in life, the first one we should talk to about it is God:

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” – James 1:5

 

 God is definitely the One who will know what is best and which direction you should take. And sometimes, when you seek out His counsel, He will direct you immediately. But sometimes, He wants us to learn through the process. Sometimes He wants to use one of those fabulous tricks of helping us feel like we have made the decision, not just been told what to do. So, after we seek God, then what are we to do? Seek counsel:

“The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice.” – Proverbs 12:15

 

 We are not walking on this earth alone. We were designed to be a part of a body, a fellowship. God has placed people in our lives intentionally that point us to Him and His ways. Who are those people in your life? If you can’t think of someone, it’s time to start looking for relationships with people you respect, people that you see are following God:

“Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:12

 

 Do you have someone in your life who is willing to tell you, lovingly, that you’re making a bad decision or you’ve done the wrong thing? Are your friends more likely to come around you and encourage you in whatever your heart desires? I’m reminded of a story my husband told me about when he visited the red-light district in Amsterdam with a missionary friend of ours. As they sat and people watched, they noticed that if a young man was walking down the street alone or with just one other person, they were likely to brush off invitations posed to them by “vendors” along the way. But when they saw a group of young men together, you could almost guarantee that one of them would peel off and visit a “house of ill repute.” It’s called peer-pressure, and we’ve all experienced it. So, my question to you stands. Are you walking with people who would encourage you to take advantage of an offer that wasn’t God-honoring, or those who would call you out and remind you of God’s direction for your life?

“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” – Proverbs 27:17

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up.” – Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

 God didn’t leave us alone in this world to figure it out. He has brought people into our lives that point us to Him. Our part is to seek out their guidance and listen to it. It’s hard when it doesn’t match up with what we want, what our hearts desire. It’s tempting to seek out someone who will tell us to do what we want to do:

“Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of a friend springs from their heartfelt advice.” – Proverbs 27:9

 

 But as nice as it is to hear what we want to hear, if we want the best outcome, we need to be willing to hear the hard things:

“Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end, you will be counted among the wise.” – Proverbs 19:20

Here’s the Thing: Go to God first, always, in all things. If there is a question on your heart, ask Him. If He has a lesson to teach you, accept it. If He brings someone to mind, reach out to them. It might be someone you wouldn’t normally think of on your own, but God might have something to teach you through them, or, who knows, maybe there is something God wants to teach them through you!