4.10.12

Proverbs 12:26 The godly give good advice to their friends, the wicked lead them astray.

My Thoughts

For us people please-rs it is so hard sometimes to go against what someone whats to hear!  Our friends come to us for advice....sometimes because they know we will agree with them and they can go on their merry way.  I knew how much God was working in my life when I started no longer being able to do that.  When I could no longer say "I understand, I would do that too." Just to be agreeable. Now I have to say "I understand why you would want to do that but, wouldn't it be better if you made this choice." This verse teaches me that I, to be godly, must choose good advice over the risk of hurting someones feelings.  Keeping my mouth shut would be wiser than being agreeable.... but saying what God would have me say is the choice I should make.

One thing I have learned in my journeys through God's Word is this: I become free-er as my choices become fewer!  My mind becomes free from hours and days of decision making. My time becomes free-er because I can make a choice for my life more quickly and move on.  My rest became free-er because I don't toss and turn wondering if I said the right thing. It is funny too.... fewer people ask advice... because I am not always saying the thing they want to hear. 

When we ask advice we usually know what the right choice is...we feel in in our gut...deep down where the Holy Spirit resides in us... we tend ask when we want confirmation that our wrong choice is an OK choice. Others tend to ask advice of us people please-rs when they want to feel OK about the wrong choice. When we give good advice one of two things happen to free our time.... we sleep good because we have said the right thing... or we are not ask at all because people know that we won't pat them on the back and give our OK to their wrong choice.

I still feel myself wanting to just agree, when I know someone wants me to.... but the Holy Spirit inside me prompts me differently... the more I know God the more I recognize the Holy Spirit when He is trying to get my attention.  As we listen to the Holy Spirit, and make our choices based on how He leads us...more and more of our steps in life end up on solid ground... the better we get at finding the godly path...the more God smiles down at us and says "Well done my child."

Now that I think about it....so often, when asked.... we don't have to give advice at all when ask...we can just simply say "What do you think God would want you to do?" And see where the conversation goes from there.