Talk To Others

Wisdom is with those who receive counsel.
–Proverbs 13:10

God often speaks to us through wise counselors. One of the ways we discover God’s direction is by seeking wisdom from other people. We can learn from their experience.

Throughout the book of Proverbs, Solomon contrasts the wise person who learns from reproofs with the foolish man who ignores reproofs. Proverbs 13:10 says, “Wisdom is with those who receive counsel.” And Proverbs 15:22 says, “Without consultation, plans are frustrated, but with many counselors they succeed.”

When it comes to discovering your unique purpose, it is wise to talk with those who know you best. They can see things you cannot see–both your abilities and your inabilities. All of us have blind spots. Wise people ask trusted family and friends to point out areas in their lives that are hidden to their eyes.

Pastors often refer to a person’s unique purpose as a calling. You may think you have a knack for something. And as a believer growing in your faith and spending time in God’s Word, you feel called to use that spiritual gift in a particular way. That is good. You are on the road to discovering your special story that God has designed for you. But to be sure you are on the right road, God provides an important road sign you ought not to ignore: the wise counsel of other people.

God has given us different spiritual gifts, but we do not always appreciate or understand the gifts God has so graciously given. That is why we need to seek wisdom from the people in our lives who can guide and confirm what we believe to be our unique purpose.

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Today’s devotion is excerpted from “Discover Your Unique Purpose” by Dr. Robert Jeffress, 2017.

Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1960,1962,1963,1968,1971,1972,1973,1975,1977,1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.