Good morning!
Text: Leviticus 12-14; Proverbs 15:18-33
I am the sort who likes to see tasks completed, and so I am often quick to use my own judgment to make decisions. This does not always work so well, and I sometimes find myself in “damage control mode”, calming unhappy people or fixing a problem I did not foresee. A proverb I have indeed memorized – yet often fail to apply – is 15:22:
Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed.
Many things can cause us to choose to make plans and decisions by ourselves. Perhaps we are weary of the conflicts that can arise when we share our plans with others. Sometimes it is shame – we fear the condemnation of others which could come were we to ask for their help – like in a case where we need a plan to recover from a sin or foolish choice. Perhaps it is impatience – seeking counsel slows things down. Perhaps it is arrogance. Maybe we are just lazy – it takes effort to share our plans with other people.
Proverbs are wisdom all packaged and presented for our benefit and use. I commend this one to you. Always, always, always include the wise counsel of Christian brothers and sisters whenever you make any substantial plan. Look at the words of the verse – “fail”… “succeed”. I think we all prefer the latter.
in Him, Mike