When making decisions we should also listen to God’s people.
Henry Blackaby (author of Experiencing God) has noted that when God speaks, He often speaks to more than one person. In other words, if God is speaking to you, He may be speaking to others on the same matter. We see clear examples of this in Acts 9 (Paul/Ananias) and Acts 10 (Peter/Cornelius). In each case, God used one person to speak to another (in the case of Peter/Cornelius, God spoke to both simultaneously before they met in person). There are many other biblical examples of this principle.
Similar ideas are also presented in Proverbs (all quotes are in the New Living Translation of the Bible):
Fools think their own way is right,
but the wise listen to others.
-Proverbs 12:15
Plans go wrong for lack of advice;
many advisers bring success.
-Proverbs 15:22
As iron sharpens iron,
so a friend sharpens a friend
-Proverbs 27:17
One of the biggest mistakes we can make is to try to make important decisions without help. Talking to other believers has several advantages. First and foremost, another believer will share Bible passages that apply to your situation. Your adviser may give you a Biblical example/principle that you never would have thought of. A wise counselor will also speak from his/her own personal experience of walking with the Lord.
Notice that Proverbs encourages us to seek “many advisers.” It is a really good idea to talk to more than one person if possible. The more godly perspectives you can hear, the more wisdom you will have to draw from in your decisions.
How do you know if you are getting good advice? Good advice is advice from the Scriptures. When I counsel with students, I always refer them to Bible passages which relate to their questions/concerns. A good counselor is one who shares God’s word instead of just sharing his/her opinion.
Remember that I said it is a big mistake to make decisions without help. I want you to keep something else in mind: if none of your Christian friends agree with your decision, you really need to reconsider what you are about to do.
