Really? Is the statement, "Nobody ever listens to me" true?
A question we must pose to ourselves - where do you/I seek counsel and with whom do you/I seek counsel? There is so much information being shared with us every day from our family, friends and co-workers to various media outlets. And this "information" is more powerful than you may first think. As one well-known Christian author writes in his book Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands,
"We are always interpreting and always sharing our interpretations with one another. This 'sharing' ultimately amounts to advice or counsel about how to respond to life. The bottom line is that you cannot have a relationship without being a person of influence. You give and receive counsel every day... You and I receive wise and foolish counsel every day. The different voices compete for your attention. They influence your thoughts, desires, choices, and actions. The counsel comes to you in the words of a friend, the content of a TV show, and the Sunday sermon. There is counsel in the rebuke of a parent and the opinion of your spouse. People counsel people. It is inescapable.
We should be concerned about the thousands of hours of formal counseling that are not based on God's Word. But we should also be concerned about the far greater amount that goes on every day between people who do not know what they are doing and people who do not know how much they are being influenced. If you are alive on this planet, you are a counselor! You are interpreting life, and sharing those interpretations with others. You are a person of influence, and you are also being influenced. There are people in your life who have your ear. Perhaps without even knowing it, they will shape your thinking, direct your desires, and influence your plan of action. The issue is not who is counseling. All of us are. The core issue is whether that counseling is rooted in the revelation of the Creator." IRH , pg 46
Next, we will look at some passages from Scripture that talk about counsel.
A question we must pose to ourselves - where do you/I seek counsel and with whom do you/I seek counsel? There is so much information being shared with us every day from our family, friends and co-workers to various media outlets. And this "information" is more powerful than you may first think. As one well-known Christian author writes in his book Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands,
"We are always interpreting and always sharing our interpretations with one another. This 'sharing' ultimately amounts to advice or counsel about how to respond to life. The bottom line is that you cannot have a relationship without being a person of influence. You give and receive counsel every day... You and I receive wise and foolish counsel every day. The different voices compete for your attention. They influence your thoughts, desires, choices, and actions. The counsel comes to you in the words of a friend, the content of a TV show, and the Sunday sermon. There is counsel in the rebuke of a parent and the opinion of your spouse. People counsel people. It is inescapable.
We should be concerned about the thousands of hours of formal counseling that are not based on God's Word. But we should also be concerned about the far greater amount that goes on every day between people who do not know what they are doing and people who do not know how much they are being influenced. If you are alive on this planet, you are a counselor! You are interpreting life, and sharing those interpretations with others. You are a person of influence, and you are also being influenced. There are people in your life who have your ear. Perhaps without even knowing it, they will shape your thinking, direct your desires, and influence your plan of action. The issue is not who is counseling. All of us are. The core issue is whether that counseling is rooted in the revelation of the Creator." IRH , pg 46
Next, we will look at some passages from Scripture that talk about counsel.