The Tragedy of Rejecting Godly Counsel

[Greg Gordon]

Since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke, they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes. - Proverbs 1:30-31

We have all had times in our lives where believers in the Lord have given advice to us in our Christian walks. Sometimes it was a kind reminder of a verse or a practical suggestion in a situation. Other times it could even be an extreme "Thus saith the Lord." What do we do with such counsel we recieve in our lives? Do we accept counsel that we at first disagree with or is contrary to what we are doing or think? In my own live there were various times that I recieved godly counsel that I knew deep down in my heart was right but was against what I wanted and desired. Other times I have recieved strong words from brothers that was very extreme and in the end I needed to weigh it with other counsel and how Church history also believed on the issue. But one way we can know that counsel is sound is if it accords with the Scriptures and secondly if it is counsel that many other godly men agree with. Such counsel should be weighed carefully and it is dangerous to reject such warnings as in the end we might be fighting against God Himself. Many believers in our day are quick to give their opinions but godly Elders and leaders in the body of Christ, pray and hear from God clearly to sound a warning or help for someone.

It is not dangerous to reject someone's opinion or thinking on an issue but to reject strong godly counsel from a church leader can lead to a life full of hurt and even destruction. If we cannot recieve counsel and instruction we become foolish no matter how prosperous we are in life (Ecclesiastes 4:13). We can start to hate being corrected or having counsel that goes against our thinking (Proverbs 5:12). When we reject godly counsel over time we end up rejecting the Lord Himself (Proverbs 1:25-26). We become right in our own eyes in every situation (Proverbs 12:15). C.S. Lewis says, "There is nothing progressive about being pig headed and refusing to admit a mistake." Be willing to admit failure, admit that your way is not always right. Admit you allowed a mistake. Such humbling of one's self will open your heart to hear godly counsel again, and allow the Lord to direct your paths. When we put pressure, control and our own reasoning upon a situation it can seem we are right but in the light of Scriptures and godly counsel the actual truth can be revealed. The warning in the verse in Proverbs is that the worse thing that can happen, is the Lord simply will allow us to be filled with the "fruit of our ways" and the end result of our own scheming. May God have mercy and allow us to always be willing to hear the advice of others, especially godly elders and mature believers in the Lord. Such an open heart will save us from many trials and lead us in the way of blessing with the Lord.

 

[1watchman]

Yes, "all the counsel of God", as the Bible shows us, is needed; and one should not be scrambling the Word to make it sound the way we want. Faithfulness to God is never about "what fits my beliefs", as we often hear seekers say. God says: "...your ways are not My ways...." (Isa. 55:8-9). We MUST be conformed to the Holy Word of God! Well-intentioned advice from religious ones can be erroneous, so we need to keep reading the New Testament given for the Church, and praying earnestly. God will not hold us responsible for anything He has not given in His Word. When one has the Lord Jesus in their heart they will trust Him and walk and talk with Him always! He never fails a "child of God" ---note 1 Jn. 5:10-12.

 

[Greg Gordon]

""...your ways are not My ways...." (Isa. 55:8-9)."

That verse is the key in what you are sharing, many times we think we know best and other spiritual leaders counsel we reject as we are determined to follow in our own ways.