Advice comes to us from many sources. It can be written or verbal. There are times when it is helpful and others when it is not appreciated.
Recently I saw a sign with extremely helpful advice. It held a warning of danger due to an unstable slope. Heeding this would provide safety from the eroding landscape.
The sign was on a path that overlooked a lake. So much of the hillside had eroded and fallen away that the sign was now in danger of tumbling down to the shore. I pointed this out to my husband as we walked along the beach and said, “The sign looks like it needs to take its own advice.”
This brought to mind the saying Do what I say not as I do. In other words, I expect you to follow my advice but I’m not going to do it myself.
No matter how well intentioned I am, my advice may not be right for someone else. The same holds true for advice that others give me.
There is also the advice that I give myself and then ignore. Following it requires more effort than I am willing to put forth. Sometimes I don’t know what to do. I seem lost and need someone to point me in the right direction.
There is only one that can consistently give me the needed advice. That one is Jesus. He knows the direction he wants me to travel in and the best way to get there. Everything he takes me through is preparing me to live the life that he has planned for me. I may not understand the advice now, but if I have faith the answer will be revealed in his perfect timing.
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. (1 Peter 5:6 NIV)