Gigi's Blog

Yesterday at about 4:30 or so it got really dark here at work.  It started lightening and thundering, and you knew a storm was approaching.  

I was raised in Tx. where there are some real bad storms that I remember.  One of the neighbors even had a storm cellar.  My grandma Ella (my mom’s mom) was terrified of storms.  As she grew older someone had to stay with her at night if she even heard that it might storm.  Meagan will do almost anything without fear.  She’ll drive places alone, she’ll do outgoing things, work a job, but one thing that scares her is a storm.  So I guess that with my history and family history of storms, when I’m in one or know one is coming, I usually pay attention.

Well at about 4:45 yesterday Lynne said “Gina, you go ahead and leave.  The storm will be here soon.”  In case you can’t tell, I like to talk.  So as I’m bidding farewell to all my co-workers and telling them what I feel can not wait until the next day, the downpour hits.  If you were in Gastonia, NC yesterday you know exactly what I’m talking about.  Lynne said “Gina, I told you to leave!!  Now look, you’re stuck!”  I said “Lynne, if I had left when you told me to, I’d be on I-85 in the dead center of this storm.  I’m very glad I didn’t leave.” 

You know it’s so easy to offer “advice” or tell people “The Lord wants you to………….”

I’m not saying you shouldn’t accept godly advice, the Bible talks about it.

Proverbs 15:22 Refuse to take advice and watch your plans fail; take good counsel and watch them succeed. 

But, I do believe at times people give “suggestions” about things they don’t know about handling in a godly way.  And worse than that sometimes the people we think of as godly give us advice based on their own thoughts and beliefs, but the problem is those opinions are more theirs than God’s.  So, we, because of their status, assume its right. 

What if Job would’ve listened to his wife and friends????
 
If I would’ve left when Lynne told me to, I’m not sure what would’ve happened.  Lynne is my friend.  Lynne cares about me.  Lynne was trying to help me.  Sometimes when people see you, as their friend hurting and in need, they’ll do almost anything to make you feel better.  They don’t want you to hurt.  This is tough to say, tough to hear, but sometimes you have to pull back from advice (that even when given to help your hurt) is wrong.     

I Corinthian 10: 23-24Looking at it one way, you could say, "Anything goes. Because of God's immense generosity and grace, we don't have to dissect and scrutinize every action to see if it will pass muster." But the point is not to just get by. We want to live well, but our foremost efforts should be to help others live well.

So if a person will tell you anything just to make you feel better, even if it’s wrong……….well, I think they aren’t helping you live well.  I am guilty of both things.  I can’t stand it when people are hurting, and will often do anything to stop it.  Plus, if I’m hurting, I’ll let you tell me anything to make the hurting go away. 

I wouldn’t say I have a “to-do” check list to know if advice is good or not.  It takes more of a commitment in our hearts to seek and search for God’s will, and not stop until we find it.  And I also want to say that I am by no means implying that when you give godly advice that you do it in a rude or unkind way.  When you do, then you’ve lost any chance at that person hearing and accepting what you’re trying to say.

I Peter 3:15 But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.

You know if we could prepare our hearts to receive divine instruction from God I think much of this confusion would be avoided.  But so many people don’t want to search for truth as a treasure, so they’ll take advice any place they can get it.  Psychic.  Horoscope. Priest.  Anybody who’ll do it for them. And the problem is these people aren't getting truth. God wants YOU!  He wants me! Christ died so that we can have access to God and be freed from the need for intercessors. 

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