Jessica Albritton, NextGen Minister LHBC
Ecclesiastes 7:5
It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise than to hear the song of fools.
I have a friend who is always asking for advice for one thing or another. The problem is she doesn’t just want the advice she is given, rather she wants affirmation of the decision she has already made. If she is told something she doesn’t want to hear she will move on to the next friend and ask the same question. If they too tell her what she doesn’t want to hear she moves on to the next, and so on and so forth until she finds someone to validate her.
In the book of Ecclesiastes we read it is better to hear the rebuke from a wise person than the song of a fool. That word song here isn’t referring to a musical number, it’s referring to undue praise and affirmation. Scripture is saying it’s better to be called out on your junk than for someone to tickle your ears with false admiration.
No one likes to be rebuked, no one wants to hear they are wrong, but sometimes we have our blinders on and we can’t see all the sides of a situation. We need people in our lives, wise godly men and women, that can tell us the hard truths when that happens. We need friends who love us enough to call us out on our stuff.
Who are you surrounding yourself with today? Are you seeking affirmation from fools that will just tickle your ears and tell you what you want to hear or are you seeking godly counsel from individuals that are pointing you to Christ no matter how hard that advice may be to swallow?
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Heavenly Father, surround me with godly friends and mentors that are not afraid to tell me when I am wrong. Place people in my life that will gently correct me when I need it most and not just allow me to continue making the same mistakes because it’s what I want to hear. And Lord, help me to receive it all well. I pray that the constructive criticism and the hard truths, though painful in the moment, push me to be more like you! In Jesus name, amen!
MEMORY VERSE OF THE WEEK:
1 John 3:18
Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.