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Stay Away From Division!
James 3:14-16 says, “14But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. 15This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. 16For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.”
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Friendships That are Self-Destructive
Job 2:11-13 says, “11Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him. 12And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven. 13So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that his grief was very great.”
When Job lost his family, home, abundance, everything, his three close friends showed up, and they did not even say a word for seven days straight. Sometimes, it is good to just hear and listen what someone who is struggling has to say rather than always speak and give advice. Some people just need to get it off of their chest and need someone they can vent to. Honestly, it would have been better if Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar never said a single word!
Regardless of how young or mature of a Christian a person is, it is very profitable for men and women to be surrounded by godly people of influence, especially people of prayer and wisdom so that they can receive good and godly counsel. Men need to surround themselves with greater and stronger men. When you play a specific sport, such as basketball, if you play with people who are better than you, you will eventually become better. If you do not, and you surround yourself with the wrong kind of people, who do not hold you accountable and only seek for their own good, then they will only bring you down that much more. Proverbs 11:14 says, “Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.” Proverbs 15:22 says, “Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellors they are established.” Proverbs 19:20, 21 says, “20Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end. 21There are many devices in a man’s heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand.” Proverbs 20:5 says, “Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out.”
For example, have you ever been in a situation where you were dating someone, and everyone tried to counsel you and warn you to not be with or date that person, but you believed you had it all figured out and you knew what was best? Your best friend tells you, “She is trouble.” Your parents tell you, “There is something not right about her.” Yet, you did it anyways because she is just so perfect for you! Then, in due time, you see how that everyone was right, and you are now filled with regret, wishing you never knew or dated them before. You can surround yourself with wise counselors and people who can hold you accountable, but if you do not take heed or into consideration their advise, what good does it do? If you want to be established and become wiser at the end of it all, follow the counsel of the LORD. It will last forever!
Receiving and abiding by wise counseling can be the distinguishing factor between knowledge and wisdom. Knowledge is when you learn from your own experiences. Wisdom is when you learn from someone else’s. You can gain a great deal of wisdom by listening to older, more mature people who have been there and done that so you can avoid committing the same mistakes they made. Psalms 1:1-3 says, “1Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 2But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 3And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” You can surround yourself with people who are ungodly, in sin and are filled with anger, spite and jealousy, but that will only bring a bad influence on your life and make you worse. However, if you delight yourself in His word, meditating on it, you will make good decision, be successful and become prosperous in everything that you put your hands into doing. You will function in a continuous source of revival, firmly rooted and established in the faith, and you will not dry up, but rather bear fruit that remains! It all is derived by taking heed to godly counsel and advise.
After those seven days were finished, instead of seeking to comfort, edify and encourage Job, they, through human reasoning and experience, tried to diagnose the root of his problems and then solve them. They blamed him for what he was suffering when they were never enlightened to the truth. They were not present when the sons of God presented themselves to God and Satan came also among them. They did not listen to God and Satan’s conversation concerning Job. This was just the ultimate test of faith. He had not sinned, but he was faithful to God. They invented false accusations against him, as though they were better than him and that they had dealt with the magnitude of problems that Job was facing now. Since he was suffering the judgment that the wicked people should be, he must have done something wrong right? That was their conclusion, and they refused to think of it any other way. However, Job held fast to his integrity in patience, although he was miserable and discouraged (James 5:10, 11). He even blamed his friends for vexing his soul and reproaching him multiple times. Job 19:1-3 says, “1Then Job answered and said, 2How long will ye vex my soul, and break me in pieces with words? 3These ten times have ye reproached me: ye are not ashamed that ye make yourselves strange to me.” What he needed was encouragement and godly counsel; not self-proclaimed prophets of destruction! You do not need problem solvers, but encouragers and prayer warriors. They accomplish so much more than people who only condemn, betray and belittle.
The Need for Reconciliation!
Matthew 5:23-24 (NASB) says, “23“Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.”
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The Need for a Conversation
James 1:19 says, “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.”
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An Invitation to Go Higher!
Luke 14:7-11 (NASB) says, “7And He began speaking a parable to the invited guests when He noticed how they had been picking out the places of honor at the table, saying to them, 8“When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for someone more distinguished (honorable in reputation) than you may have been invited by him, 9and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this man,’ and then in disgrace you proceed to occupy the last place. 10“But when you are invited, go and recline at the last place, so that when the one who has invited you comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher’; then you will have honor in the sight of all who are at the table with you. 11“For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
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Clothes That Fit
1 Samuel 2:18-19 says, “18But Samuel ministered before the LORD, being a child, girded with a linen ephod. 19Moreover his mother made him a little coat, and brought it to him from year to year, when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.”
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Victory in Love
Romans 8:37 says, “Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.”
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Partnering With Christ, Pt. 2
1 Corinthians 6:17 says, “But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.”
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Partnering With Christ, Pt. 1
2 Peter 1:3-11 (TPT) says, “3 Everything we could ever need for life and complete devotion to God has already been deposited in us by his divine power. For all this was lavished upon us through the rich experience of knowing him who has called us by name and invited us to come to him through a glorious manifestation of his goodness. 4 As a result of this, he has given you magnificent promises that are beyond all price, so that through the power of these tremendous promises you can experience partnership with the divine nature, by which you have escaped the corrupt desires that are of the world. 5 So devote yourselves to lavishly supplementing your faith with goodness, and to goodness add understanding, 6 and to understanding add the strength of self-control, and to self-control add patient endurance, and to patient endurance add godliness, 7 and to godliness add mercy toward your brothers and sisters, and to mercy toward others add unending love. 8 Since these virtues are already planted deep within, and you possess them in abundant supply, they will keep you from being inactive or fruitless in your pursuit of knowing Jesus Christ more intimately. 9 But if anyone lacks these things, he is blind, constantly closing his eyes to the mysteries of our faith, and forgetting his innocence—for his past sins have been washed away. 10 For this reason, beloved ones, be eager to confirm and validate that God has invited you to salvation and claimed you as his own. If you do these things, you will never stumble. 11 As a result, the kingdom’s gates will open wide to you as God choreographs your triumphant entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Messiah.”
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Condemning the Enemy’s Lies
Isaiah 54:17 says, “No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.”
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