“Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.”
Solomon had a lot of counsel. In this sense all his officials played a role that involved giving input. To assume your plans cannot be improved upon or at least gain potentially useful insights by allowing trusted voices to speak into them is what he is speaking against here. The ultimate counsel in our lives should be God speaking through His word and His Spirit. Most often He speaks to me through those He has brought into my story. In Solomon’s day the failure of a plan often reflected a military campaign. Imagine the consequences of failure, lives lost, territory plundered and more. The wisest and most successful leaders I know build teams of wisdom around themselves and then they trust their input. They don’t always follow it but they at least have a wide view. In the most effective nonprofit work these leaders have boards that speak with experience and wisdom. Those men and women given permission to speak into our lives are one of the greatest gifts of following God. As I’ve aged and consider myself a bit wiser I’ve come to value those who give me Godly advice and input more than I ever did before. Today seek counsel and listen. #BeTheEdge
“Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you.” Exodus 18:19a NIV
