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Read: Be Careful Where You Get Your Counsel (Page 8)
Psalms 1:1-3 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. (2) But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. (3) And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
There is a major difference between wicked counsel and wise counsel. There may be those who have good intentions, but their counsel does not guide you into a good path. Their good intentions may be to help you become “more successful”, but if it is at the expense of your character and convictions then, no matter how good the intentions may be, it is not worth following that advice.
We must be careful where we get our advice. We cannot get caught up with people just based on their ability to help us accomplish more. It is far better to commit ourselves to the counsel of those who teach us how to accomplish better!
What happens when someone takes wicked counsel and starts to see positive results? They will then be tempted to start seeking more wicked counsel, all with the good intentions of being “successful”. The problem is the phrase “good intentions” can start taking on a different meaning as we accomplish more.
There is a point at which they will surround themselves with those who give wicked counsel and before long, character and convictions are long gone!
Those who give wise counsel will remind you that, not only do you have to live with the results of your decisions, but you have live with yourself while you are making those decisions. Those who tend to abide by their convictions when making decisions will ultimately live a more satisfying life because they know they’ve done the best they could with the situation they were given, and yet did not let greed and wicked counsel become their guide.
The Bible says you are blessed when you do things this way! These blessings run deeper than material gain!
Assignment: Share an example of a time when you shared with others wise counsel that you received.
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