The Problem Of Self Guidance
Where there is no guidance,
the people fall,
but in the abundance of counselors
there is victory
Proverbs 11:14
Go it alone wisdom is limited, and it results in a greater opportunity to fail. Even when Jesus sent out His disciples, He did so in pairs. He gave all twelve the boundaries for their ministry to be, but He then made sure that they did not go it alone. Even the one paired with Judas Iscariot, as well as Judas, went out with Jesus marching orders as their guide. So to them what was to be done was clear, and what Christ wanted was also clear. If something came up that required thinking about the circumstances, both made the decision based on Jesus' wisdom and guidance. And they did not do it alone. They did so together.
As the Son of God, Jesus knew all too well what human beings can do when left to themselves to plan and act. So He sent them out together. Being alone can really be challenging during challenging times. Even Eve was alone when she fell. Saul, of the Old Testament, made some really dumb decisions because, as the all powerful human King, he sought very little or no counsel. King David, a man after God's own heart, made his absolute worst decisions as "the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life" directed him while he was alone in his thinking. Ancient Wisdom, when considered in its totality, strongly guides that we surround ourselves with accountability partners who can see things, perhaps that we cannot see or do not want to see. If there is NO guidance you will know a fall. Go it alone wisdom is NO wisdom at all.
But, if we surround ourselves with wise people, who may or may not have the same dreams as do we, and if we really want victory, we would do well to encircle our thinking with Christ-Like friends who will pray with us, listen to us and hold us accountable -- as we hold them accountable -- and as together we seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.
Support groups validate this claim. Millions of people have reclaimed their lives after having struggled with all kinds of challenges in life. Thousands of Christos-Centric groups of twelve or fewer individuals, that are well structured and predicated on good organization and wisdom, have resulted in myriads of lives being transformed around the world. People suffering grief and pain find healing and hope, when they sit with fellow sojourners and sufferers to work out their journeys together. Those who go it alone may suffer even more.
In another place, the Wisdom Writer tells us that two are better than one because if they fall the other one can help the other get back up, but if one falls alone that person is in trouble. He also talks about how two people in a freezing life threatening situation can help keep each other alive by sharing body heat. Then too, he talks about how a cord that is folded multiple times is difficult, if not impossible, to break. But if it is one strand, it is easy to snap. In other words, just as there is strength in appropriate numbers, their is life giving wisdom, hope and life in appropriately shared wisdom/fellowship. (See Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)
There is one important point to keep in mind: Surrounding ourselves with people who will tell us only what they think we want to hear, is not what is being discussed here. Getting advice from people who are going to tell us what we want to hear juxtaposed to what we NEED to hear is going to set us up for failure as well. As a subordinate, when my counsel was sought from a senior, I was known for telling my senior what they needed to hear ... not what they wanted to hear. On one occasion, I remember feeling like the senior wanted me to rubber stamp his decisions. So I ask him point blank, "Sir are you wanting me to rubber stamp your decision? Or do you want to know what I actually think." He told me he wanted the latter not the former. So I shared my answer accordingly, and this resulted in a great outcome. When I became the senior, I simply did not seek out "yes men" or "yes women" who were trying to move up the ladder. I sought out wise people who would tell me what they actually thought, even if they thought I did not want to hear it. This gave me perspective, and it gave me wisdom for making healthy/holy choices.
So the question for us to ask today, is do we want victory or defeat? The plan for defeat is clear: Go it alone and surround yourself with people who will tell you what they think you wish to hear. The plan for succeeding is also clear: Don't be afraid to seek godly counsel from trustworthy people with whom we have been Divinely intersected. Determine to seek out those who are willing to journey with us through the ups and downs of integrity filled shared wisdom and co-accountability. If we do this, we will ...
As the Son of God, Jesus knew all too well what human beings can do when left to themselves to plan and act. So He sent them out together. Being alone can really be challenging during challenging times. Even Eve was alone when she fell. Saul, of the Old Testament, made some really dumb decisions because, as the all powerful human King, he sought very little or no counsel. King David, a man after God's own heart, made his absolute worst decisions as "the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life" directed him while he was alone in his thinking. Ancient Wisdom, when considered in its totality, strongly guides that we surround ourselves with accountability partners who can see things, perhaps that we cannot see or do not want to see. If there is NO guidance you will know a fall. Go it alone wisdom is NO wisdom at all.
But, if we surround ourselves with wise people, who may or may not have the same dreams as do we, and if we really want victory, we would do well to encircle our thinking with Christ-Like friends who will pray with us, listen to us and hold us accountable -- as we hold them accountable -- and as together we seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.
Support groups validate this claim. Millions of people have reclaimed their lives after having struggled with all kinds of challenges in life. Thousands of Christos-Centric groups of twelve or fewer individuals, that are well structured and predicated on good organization and wisdom, have resulted in myriads of lives being transformed around the world. People suffering grief and pain find healing and hope, when they sit with fellow sojourners and sufferers to work out their journeys together. Those who go it alone may suffer even more.
In another place, the Wisdom Writer tells us that two are better than one because if they fall the other one can help the other get back up, but if one falls alone that person is in trouble. He also talks about how two people in a freezing life threatening situation can help keep each other alive by sharing body heat. Then too, he talks about how a cord that is folded multiple times is difficult, if not impossible, to break. But if it is one strand, it is easy to snap. In other words, just as there is strength in appropriate numbers, their is life giving wisdom, hope and life in appropriately shared wisdom/fellowship. (See Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)
There is one important point to keep in mind: Surrounding ourselves with people who will tell us only what they think we want to hear, is not what is being discussed here. Getting advice from people who are going to tell us what we want to hear juxtaposed to what we NEED to hear is going to set us up for failure as well. As a subordinate, when my counsel was sought from a senior, I was known for telling my senior what they needed to hear ... not what they wanted to hear. On one occasion, I remember feeling like the senior wanted me to rubber stamp his decisions. So I ask him point blank, "Sir are you wanting me to rubber stamp your decision? Or do you want to know what I actually think." He told me he wanted the latter not the former. So I shared my answer accordingly, and this resulted in a great outcome. When I became the senior, I simply did not seek out "yes men" or "yes women" who were trying to move up the ladder. I sought out wise people who would tell me what they actually thought, even if they thought I did not want to hear it. This gave me perspective, and it gave me wisdom for making healthy/holy choices.
So the question for us to ask today, is do we want victory or defeat? The plan for defeat is clear: Go it alone and surround yourself with people who will tell you what they think you wish to hear. The plan for succeeding is also clear: Don't be afraid to seek godly counsel from trustworthy people with whom we have been Divinely intersected. Determine to seek out those who are willing to journey with us through the ups and downs of integrity filled shared wisdom and co-accountability. If we do this, we will ...
Be Blessed 2-day
Especially Today
And We Will Make Healthier/Holier Choices.
And We Will Make Healthier/Holier Choices.
SoJourner
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