Based on Hebrews 13 (New King James Version)
“Let brotherly love continue. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels. Remember the prisoners as if chained with them—those who are mistreated—since you yourselves are in the body also. Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge. Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we may boldly say: ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?’ Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them. We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat. For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp. Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate. Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach. For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come. Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you. Pray for us; for we are confident that we have a good conscience, in all things desiring to live honorably. But I especially urge you to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner. Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. And I appeal to you, brethren, bear with the word of exhortation, for I have written to you in few words. Know that our brother Timothy has been set free, with whom I shall see you if he comes shortly. Greet all those who rule over you, and all the saints. Those from Italy greet you. Grace be with you all. Amen.”
Francis Bacon said, “He that gives good advice, builds with one hand; he that gives good counsel and example, builds with both; but he that gives good admonition and bad example, builds with one hand and pulls down with the other.” I guess most people look for advice because they feel the need for some sort of guidance. There may be those that think that they don’t need anyone’s advice because they can figure it out on their own. That sort of thought process displays a bit of arrogance and pride; but nonetheless, it’s valid because the rationale behind that concept is that they look for advice within themselves. The reality is that no one was born knowing everything, so even if they look to themselves for advice, they learned what they learned from somewhere else (Pride is illogical). So whether folks look for advice outside of themselves, or within themselves, in the end, everyone needs advice. Having said that, I will try to give some unsolicited advice that hopefully be helpful. After all, that is the whole purpose of why I write these short messages. I try to be a conduit of God’s unsolicited good counsel, so my source is His Word.
The first thing that everyone should do is establish “what” is the source of the advice. I think it is important to understand where something comes from. I remember having a friend conversation with a high ranking State official one day about the internet. He was saying that people are not careful and that they believe everything that is on the internet; that if something in the internet says to do something, then they go ahead and do it or believe it as truth. And he was 100% correct. Most people take what’s on the internet as undeniable truth. The truth of the matter is that all kinds of people put all kinds of stuff on the internet, and they may or may not be responsible individuals. The internet, as an example, is a broadcasting platform for anyone that has a few dollars to buy a domain name and have the capacity to play with some software. That’s it. The point that I’m making is not to destroy the internet (because it has its value), but rather, as an example of how careful we should be on where we get our advice from.
In a similar manner, we should consider where we get our advice from when dealing with people. Who are we listening to? What drives them? Are they folks that give good advice, but don’t believe in it themselves? What kind of advice are they giving? What is the source of where they generated their advice from? What is the motivation for their advice to you? I know this all sounds very probing and investigative, but it’s important. Why? Because what you do with the advice you receive will ultimately shape your existence; for good or in a different way. And I think your life and what happens with it is important, right?
God through the writer of Hebrews is giving us a lot of advice through this passage; on what to do, what not to do, and what to be careful with. Why should we listen? Well, consider the source. The Bible in its entirety is not just a book with historical facts, poetry, biographies, and prophetic proclamations. The Bible is the Word of God, and all of it; from Genesis to Revelation is God’s counsel to mankind. And who better to give us advice than the One that created everything, including us. And going even further; He is the one that loved us so much that He sacrificed His Son on the cross so that all mankind could be saved. He not only says that He loves us; but He showed it through the awesome example of the cross. God is the eternal being that was, that is, and that is to come; the One that reigns for all eternity. He is the Ancient of Days, as He is mentioned in the book of Daniel. As such, no one can know more than God.
If God has those kinds of qualifications, it would be wise to seek His counsel. So, where are you getting your advice from? Is that source God, or something far less qualified? Lord bless! John