Take My Advice...

"Take my advice..." Have you ever heard those words? Have you heard them lately? Sometimes we hear them and roll our eyes, probably because the person saying them says them regularly. People who walk through life constantly trying to give everyone else advice most likely have no concept of how to ask for, take, or even hear anyone else's. Sure, those people are out there. But let's forget about them for a minute. What about the others - possibly many others - who have actually been there, walked through it, have experienced it, and could shed some serious wisdom and light on things for us? Are we listening to them? Taking their advice?

Proverbs 12:15 tells us, "The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice." Wisdom is not only evidenced by seeking out advice, it's often FOUND in the advice. It's discovered in the simple willingness to ask for it. And most of us probably have nothing against hearing advice, yet we sit here rarely receiving any. Why? If we know we could most certainly benefit from the wisdom of others, why aren't they sharing it with us? I think the answer is pretty simple. Here it is:

WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR IT!

Most of the people you know whose advice is probably worth heeding, listening to, and at minimum, prayerfully considering, are also most likely endowed with enough humility that they're not going to come (at least more than once) and try and solicit it to you at your doorstep. They need to know you want it. They're not vacuum salesmen, they're friends. They may have also read Proverbs 12:23, that tells us, "Wise people don't make a show of their knowledge..."

If you've finally reached the conclusion that there are those around you who potentially have something fruitful to share with you, ask them to share it. Don't expect them to just know you're waiting anxiously for them drop their advice bomb on you. It won't happen. If you're never receiving any advice - any Godly, humble, fruitful, prayerful advice - then you're probably not asking for it.

Who's given you good advice lately?

Dig Deeper
Proverbs 13:10, 13
Proverbs 14:12, 15:22