When godly people give ungodly advice…

What do we do when godly people give ungodly advice?  And it happens.  It happened in the bible, it’s happened to me and I’m pretty sure it’s happened to you.  The only thing worse then receiving ungodly advice is offering ungodly advice.

The first thing we need to do is recognize it happens.  If you read the book of Job, you will find an example.  Job’s friends loved him.  They showed up.  They wept with him.  They remained quiet for seven days. Best I can tell, they loved God.

But then they offered Job some ungodly advice.  Maybe they succumbed to the same temptation that traps me.  It is difficult to watch someone you love, suffer.  Something in me wants an explanation.  I want to understand it because I want to fix it.  I want to stop the suffering, alleviate the pain.  So I desperately search for answers.  And sometimes I lean into my own understanding and sometimes I allow my feelings to propose a solution that is neither right or godly.  I’m thinking maybe Job’s friends fell into the same trap.

Their answer was…Job was suffering because of his sin.  He sinned against God and God was rendering judgement on him.  Job needed to make atonement for his sin.

Problem was Job didn’t understand their conclusion.  He desperately sought God and questioned Him.

Like Job, in my quest for answers I have had God-fearing men and women, who loved me, give me ungodly advice.  Worse yet, I’ve offered ungodly advice.  Advice that sounded good.  Sounded logical but it just wasn’t biblical.  And yet, I knew something wasn’t right. My spirit was pricked.   Maybe even vexed.

I wonder if Job felt the same way? Vexed??

Listen to God’s answer to Job in Job 38:2.

“Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge?”  (NIV)

It keeps ringing in my ears…Who are these people…?  Leading my people astray…?  Talking about things they know nothing about?  (That’s the Dana International Version; DLV)

Maybe it’s how I’m reading it but I hear a little sass in His answer.  And verse 4 and 5 add a little sarcasm:  “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?  Tell me, if you understand.  Who marked off it’s dimensions?  Surely you know!”  After His use of sarcasm, God proceeds to use the next two chapters to drive home the point of words without knowledge.  

The culmination of the lesson for us is in Job 38 verse 2.

1.  The who is….well-intentioned, godly people.
2. Darkens my counsel is… offers seemingly logical and good advice.  Problem is, it’s not biblical, not rooted in (or contrary to) scripture.
3.  The fruit of darkens my counsel is..it actually leads us away from the will of God.
4. The problem with words without knowledge is…we start talking about things we know nothing about.  We have a very narrow, earthly perspective, which can be limiting when we are in relationship with an all-knowing, eternal God.
5. My concern with God’s rehetorical question of…“Who is this…”, leads me to believe He will hold me accountable.  But we’ll talk more about this later.

So, the next time you suspect you may be receiving, or are tempted to deliver, some well-intended but ungodly advice–take heed.  Turn to scripture.  Search out every scripture you can find on the topic.  Receive His Counsel over their counsel.  Pray for God to reveal His word to you.  Grant you wisdom and discernment.  Give you words to speak and speak His Word.  Ask God to help you keep your eyes fixed on Him and teach you how to glorify Him as you walk this out.

The last thing I want to do while suffering or in a season of desperation is further obscure the will of God.

For another example of godly people giving ungodly advice, check out Matthew 16:21-23.

Until next time…

XOXO