Be Not Wise In Your Own Eyes…
Hey Yall!
Be not wise in your own eyes is an impactful statement needed now more than ever in the lives of believers. I’ve noticed that our intelligence and our own thoughts and insight have overridden wise counsel and the desire to seek Godly advice from those around us. The Lord gave us community so that we can reason among ourselves in order to keep us from error.
When I speak about wise counsel I’m speaking of the ability to have biblically mature and sound relationships by which you can seek out advice and insight into your life and situations. This principle is important for a few reasons.
The Bible proclaims it to be so…
So the Bible has quite a bit to say about community but I’ll use this one specific scripture found in 1 Corinthians 14:29,
Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge.
This scripture supports my point of why it’s important to have Godly counsel and those that can confirm what you’re getting from the Lord. We must not lean on our own understanding in the matter of hearing from God. Let me be clear, Holy Spirit alone will be the final authority; however, I want to encourage you all to discern those around you accurately. Community is vital in every stage of life. We must never abandon the gathering of ourselves for edification.
2. Don’t think so highly of yourself that you don’t accept advice and critique from others. Proverbs 14:12-16 says,
There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, But the end thereof are the ways of death.
Similar to the first point, our own desires and thoughts can be used as a catalyst toward death. I’ll use the example of desiring marriage. If you desire marriage above all else, even reason, If you meet a man that does not love God, does not display the fruit of the Holy Spirit, and has no desire for marriage; however, he calls and checks in on you regularly and wants you to be the mother of his children. Your desire for companionship mixed with loneliness can drive you into thinking this man was sent as your assignment. If you can just show him the love of God, he’ll change and want marriage and so on… It’s imperative that we seek out the Lord and wise counsel to thwart the plans of the enemy. The enemy wants to get us caught up with good things instead of God things. The easiest way to do that is to lean on your own understanding. Deception comes in many ways.
3. Mentorship is essential for elevation and promotion.
When Samuel was coming up in age around Eli, who was the Prophet of God, he started hearing the voice of God and due to his inexperience, he thought the voice was that of Eli. Being more experienced, Eli directed Samuel on how to discern the voice of God. Without this insight, Samuel may have been further delayed in his understanding of God’s hand on his life. When we choose not to lean on our own understanding, we open ourselves up to direction, clarity, and elevation.
Be Not Wise in Your Own Eyes.