Wise Counsel

The people of the United States spend about $115 billion on mental health treatment each year, with 27 percent of that going toward prescription drugs. Of course, our text for this morning is not speaking about paid professional counselors. While I believe that therapy has a place and that there are times when a godly counselor can help a person work through issues, the passage above isn’t about trained specialists. (I am concerned about the speed with which people seek help in medications, however. God has given us excellent natural remedies that should not be overlooked.)

The Hebrew word for “counsel” in this passage grows out of the word used for the ropes that were pulled to change the direction of a ship at sea. The picture is one of guidance and new direction. When a person, or group of people, refuses to listen to advice, he might find himself shipwrecked. That’s often true with married couples. One of the determining factors for a successful marriage is a husband who is open to suggestions. When a man is adamant about his viewpoints and will not consider his wife’s perspective, it’s a sure sign that their relationship will crumble.

Not all counsel is good. A classic example of two different types of counsel in the Bible is found in the story of Solomon’s son, Rehoboam. When his father died, the people complained about heavy taxes to their new king. He sent them away for three days before giving them a response.

Rehoboam first consulted with his father’s experienced counselors. They advised him to back off and treat the people more kindly. But he disliked their counsel and instead asked young men whom he had grown up with for advice. They suggested the young king show the people he was boss. They recommended he threatened to increase their taxes and treat them even more harshly. He accepted this foolish advice and subsequently lost half of the kingdom.

Wise counsel can save us from a lot of heartache, not only in our homes, but also in our churches and businesses. When skillful advice is lacking, people can be led into reckless pathways of destruction. But when we are open to listen to wisdom from gifted and experienced people, when there is open discussion tempered by humility, we will find ourselves in safer places.

Additional reading: Proverbs 11:1–15

Key Bible Texts

Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety. (Proverbs 11:14 KJV)