How to Get Good Godly AdviceSample

Day One - Who to Ask

God knows there are times when you’ll need good advice and He places godly Christian mentors and advisers in your life -- flesh-and-blood humans who have godly wisdom and no other agenda than to help you.

Some might be peers—good Christian friends who know your weaknesses and will get in your face to ask you how it’s going. Everyone needs a couple of good friends like that. If you don’t have them, ask God to send you one or two.

Some advisers might be older in the faith than you, spiritual overseers who have more experience and insight than you have. Some might be personal friends, while others might be pastors and teachers, set in the body of Christ by God to edify and perfect you. Their advice might come from a pulpit or a podcast rather than face-to-face, but it is no less valuable.

Don’t run from these advisers or ignore their advice. Thank God for them and listen when they instruct you.

When it comes to getting advice from “a multitude of counselors,” the Bible is not talking about polling everyone you know. It’s talking about asking counsel of the people who will give you informed, insightful, and helpful advice with no strings attached -- those who love you and want the best for you.

If you start asking a lot of people for advice, you’re going to get too many opinions, and that can get very confusing. When it comes to asking for advice, it’s better to aim for quality rather than quantity.

We can see an example of this kind of relationship between Apostle Paul and the young pastor Timothy. Paul challenges Timothy, equips him for ministerial tasks, empowers him for success, and chooses him as his successor.

If you’d like that kind of advice and encouragement, here’s how to recognize a good mentor: you’ll see good fruit in their life and ministry (see Matt. 12:33); in their interaction with you they will be encouraging but honest, and comforting but challenging, and their main goal will be your growth and success. When you have that kind of relationship with someone you can, and should, ask for their advice; and you should follow it.