Do Real Men Seek Counsel

Do Real Men Seek Counsel

I have always felt that real men never ask for advice. There are thousands of miles on my car that are a result of being too proud to ask for directions. I learned not to ask for advice or directions in Basic Manhood 101. But one day I stumbled across Proverbs 12:15 which says “The way of the fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man is he who listens to counsel”. Ouch! That hurt.

From that point, I did a little more digging in the Bible and came to the conclusion that not only does God want us to seek counsel, but He gives us pretty specific guidelines as to who to seek counsel from. I believe there are three guidelines concerning the ones from whom we should seek counsel.

Guideline one pertains to the highest level of human counsel. This is yoked counsel. This is a situation where we are obligated to adhere to the counsel we receive. A marriage, business partnership (with binding partnership agreement) and also debt (Proverbs 22:7) fall in this category. In any of these situations, counsel can be given that we are forced to abide by. Check any divorce settlement, partnership breakup or mortgage foreclosure and you will find one party most likely was subject to a verdict they did not like as a result of a yoking relationship. This is one reason I think it is unbiblical for a Bible believing church to borrow money from a secular bank. 2 Corinthians 6:14 warns us pretty sternly not to get into a situation where we are yoked with unbelievers and subsequently forced to take the counsel they give us.

The second guideline pertains to counsel we receive each day. We all go to doctors, accountants, lawyers and even car mechanics and receive advice. Does the source of this counsel have to be from Christians? I believe the answer is preferably yes, although sometimes it is not possible. Sometimes we need counsel in a very specific area that we do not know a Christian who is able to give such advice. Just like with any counsel, we need to weigh it against the Word of God (Psalm 119:105;Romans 15:4). If the counsel is not inconsistent with the Bible, then we receive it as good counsel, even if the one who gave it is not a Believer.

Level three is counsel to avoid. This is advice from the ungodly and wicked. Psalms 1:1-3 and Proverbs 12:5 tell us to stay away from this source of counsel. What is the difference between the counsel in the previous paragraph and this level? I believe in this level are the “counselors” that flagrantly and outwardly mock God and the principles of His Word. Leviticus 19:31 is pretty direct that we should run from fortune tellers and mediums. But I also believe this principle can be expanded to include doctors that continually promote and practice abortions and other ungodly practices or lawyers that promote and practice unethical behavior. Even the mechanic that is constantly taking the Lord’s name in vain, using vile language and displaying lewd pictures should be avoided.

So maybe I am a man, and “real men” never ask for advice, but more importantly, I am a follower of Jesus Christ. In His Word it is pretty clear that I need to seek Godly advice. My first source should be the Word of God (Psalms 119:24). But in addition to that I must look for others to help me understand the proper application of His Word to my life. – George Hutchison is a member of the Keswick Board of Trustees and serves as an instructor with Crown Financial Ministries. Follow his blog Stewardship Insights

GPS – God’s Positioning System: 2 Kings 9-11; Psalm 135; Proverbs 16

Compass Pointers: This hill, though high, I covet to ascend; the difficulty will not me offend. For I perceive the way to life lies here. Come, pluck up, heart; let's neither faint nor fear. Better, though difficult, the right way to go, than wrong, though easy, where the end is woe. John Bunyan

Navigation Rules to Memorize: Level 1: Proverbs 24:1-2; Level 2: Proverbs 24:1-10

Anchored to the Rock: Prayer is where the action is. Any church without a well-organized and systematic prayer program is simply operating a religious treadmill. Paul Billheimer