My devotion today was out of this passage of scripture:
“Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take, or sit in the company of mockers but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who mediates on his law day and night. This person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither - whatever they do prospers.” - Psalms 1:1-3
For me today, this passage made me think about where I get counsel and advice from.I think we underestimate how easily we can be influenced. It matters more than we think who is in our inner circle that we trust to give us direction or feedback. Even what we think of as harmless venting can open the door to seeds of bad counsel. I think this is extremely important in leadership. When you have the responsibility of leading others, you better be sure that not only are you yourself meditating and delighting in the Word of God but those you receive counsel from are as well. Is the person you are listening to like a tree planted by streams of water? Are they yielding fruit? Is whatever they are doing prospering? If not, maybe it isn’t a good idea to let them speak into your life. You can be friends, co-workers but should they be of counsel?
This doesn’t go only for leadership.. but for me, it is also as a wife and when I was raising a family, as a mom as well. Are you receiving Godly advice from someone who has been there and tried to do it God’s way; or are you letting someone who has a negative view of marriage and family give you advice? Are you telling all of your business to someone who isn’t raising their family on Christ centered values? Are they life-giving or draining.
Godly counsel doesn’t always tell us what we want to hear. They don’t always agree with us or validate our frustration. Most of the time, the wisest person in our circle will challenge us to look at scripture or remind us to check our own heart. There have been more times than I count of when I wanted someone to agree with me but what I needed was someone to point me back to God. I need people in my life who help me stay planted not just tell me what I want to hear.
Just some thoughts to ponder today. I believe when you are aligned with the Word and with an inner circle that is wise and meditates on the Word of God it will make you feel fruitful, productive, nourished, stable and at peace even when things don’t go the way you think they should. Who are you giving permission to speak into your life and are they helping you stay planted?
