Seek Counsel

As we begin this chapter focused on seeking counsel for the purpose of drawing out wisdom, it brings some obvious questions to mind: Why is it necessary to seek counsel when the Word says we already have the mind of Christ? Isn’t the Word enough for us to access the mind of Christ and make good decisions? What if the counsel we receive is wrong? How do we judge the counsel we receive from others accurately? How do we know when it is appropriate to act on someone’s counsel and when it is not? How can we know who to trust in receiving godly counsel? 

Each of us has our own perspective, but no matter how accurate our perspective is or how much of it comes from the Word, it is still limited. First Corinthians says we all “know in part” (1 Cor. 13:9). You and I know what we know. But that knowledge is only “in part.” None of us have all revelation or the last word on any subject. Some who have not spent time in or valued the Word, have an even more limited perspective. But no matter how much of the Word we know, each of our perspectives is still limited. You and I know what we know, but godly counsel exposes us to increased perspective. Consider the following scriptures as evidence of this fact: 

“With the well-advised is wisdom” (Proverbs 13:10). 

“Listen to counsel and receive instruction, that you may be wise in your latter days” (Proverbs 19:20).

“For by wise counsel you will wage your own war, and in a multitude of counselors there is safety” (Proverbs 24:6).

The first listed verse (Prov. 13:10) declares that wisdom comes to us as a result of being well advised. That means we need to make ourselves available to receiving counsel. The second verse (Prov. 19:20) adds another dimension to this principle. It tells us to listen to counsel and be open to receiving instruction. If we approach counsel as if we already know what to do, we are just checking off a scriptural requirement and the counselor cannot add anything to us.

The third verse listed above and found in Proverbs 24:6 reveals additional benefits of receiving counsel. It tells us that waging war (or we could say, accomplishing kingdom purposes that have the potential of destroying the enemy’s kingdom) requires wise counsel. There is real value in receiving counsel from more than one source. It keeps us safe from major mistakes and helps us identify and cover areas of vulnerability.

In the late 1990s, I had the opportunity to spend one week a year for four consecutive years being mentored by Jack Hayford at the School of Pastoral Nurture. Each year, he invited thirty-five to forty pastors to spend the week with him.

During one of those weeks, Pastor Jack shared the story of how he received the second campus for their church, The Church on the Way, in Van Nuys, California. Their church had grown significantly, and they were not able to accommodate its growth in the building they owned. One day as he was driving, he noticed a “for sale” sign on a building less than two miles from their church. As he sat waiting at a red light near the property, he heard the Holy Spirit say, “I am giving you this building. It is yours.” Pastor Jack didn’t immediately act on what he heard. He first prayed about it for several days and then set a meeting with his church board to discuss the opportunity. 

When Pastor Jack met with his board, he did not tell them, “The Lord spoke to me and said He is giving us this building. It is ours.” Instead, he told them he had noticed a church building for sale near their current facility, and after praying about it, sensed the Lord’s leading to discuss the possibility of purchasing it.

This was a real lesson of kingdom leadership for me. I remember him saying that even when the Lord speaks clearly to him about something related to the church, he rarely tells others that the Lord said to do this or that. Instead, he typically says “This is what I am sensing the Lord leading us to do. What are your thoughts? Do you have any input to share?” 

When we go to someone for counsel and say, “The Lord told me this,” we tie that person’s hands. If they are a believer (and they should be a believer if we are going to them for godly counsel), the only responses we leave them with are “I agree with you” or “I don’t think that is the Lord.” 

In this case, Jack Hayford’s board checked out the building, inspecting its price and renovation needs, and came back to him, saying, “We don’t think it is prudent to purchase that building at this time. They are asking too much, and it will be a costly remodel for us to bring it up to standards and move in.” Initially, Pastor Jack was disappointed. But he accepted their counsel without using the “God told me” card. He simply trusted God to bring to pass what he believed God has spoken to him.

Several weeks passed, and another church put a contract on the building. In the process of their inspection, they discovered major asbestos removal was required before they could move in. Because of the high cost involved, they backed out of their sales contract, and the original owners became responsible for the asbestos removal. Once removal was complete, the building went up for sale again, this time at a lower price. When Pastor Jack and the board discovered all that had transpired, they agreed to purchase the building and were able to remodel it to meet city codes and their church standards within budget. What a testimony of the importance of valuing godly counsel and using that counsel to receive God’s wisdom! Pastor Jack’s submission allowed God to fulfill His word while saving the church hundreds of thousands of dollars. That is wisdom, my friend. 

I have applied this principle of receiving godly counsel both as a pastor and in my leadership roles at Andrew Wommack Ministries and Charis Bible College, and I have found it to be a lifesaver time and time again. A majority of the time, the responses I get from those to whom I appeal for godly counsel do not change what God has spoken to me. But they do give me a wiser perspective on the how and when of what God said. I nearly always discover better strategies and/or consider different timings in accomplishing what God has spoken to me. I cannot remember a single time I have asked for counsel in this way that I was not better off for receiving it. 

Ecclesiastes 8:6 says, “To every purpose there is time and judgment” (KJV). This verse identifies three primary areas where we need to discover God’s wisdom when following His direction for the vision, dream, or kingdom purpose He has put in our hearts. The first area is the purpose or “what” God has asked of, directed, or assigned to you and your team. The second is timing. “When” are you to start the project, and what timeframe will its fulfillment be linked to? The third area where we need to uncover God’s wisdom includes the judgment, or strategy plan, for the vision. It is the “how” of accomplishing what God has initiated. 

Let me make something very clear: You and I are not obligated to act on all the counsel we receive, even from mature, trustworthy leaders. It is our responsibility to ensure their counsel lines up with God’s written Word, our own spirits, and other trustworthy leaders in relationship with us. According to Scripture, no prophetic word or word of counsel stands alone. We are not obligated to act on any of it without first testing and proving it. 

“By the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established” (2 Corinthians 13:1). 

“Test all things; hold fast what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21). 

The following traits describe a person you and I can trust to give godly counsel: 

1. They know God and have an intimate relationship with the Father. 
2. They know the Word. It is risky to receive counsel from someone who gives you their experience and opinions but doesn’t know the Word. 
3. They are available. Will they make time for you? 
4. They are authentic. They are genuine and transparent, willing to share their mistakes and failures with you, as well as their successes, as a mode of learning. 
5. They are mature. They have developed character and integrity in their life. 
6. They encourage you. They believe in you; they encourage and build you up. 
7. They have strength. The person you go to for counsel needs to have some experience or skill they have developed that they will freely share with you. 
8. They have a hearing ear. They have learned to hear God, and they listen to you. 
9. They are objective. Their counsel is not biased with prejudice or opinion. 
10. They are patient. They are not pushy with you but willing to wait on God and give you time to “get it.” 
11. They are compassionate, merciful, and kind, not judgmental or condemning. 
12. They are trustworthy. They keep the things you share in confidence. 

Not every person you or I go to for counsel will have all of these traits, but they should demonstrate many of them to be counted as a person we can trust to give us good, godly, consistent counsel. Pastor Bob Nichols is one of my most trusted counselors.

The first time I went to him for counsel, Janice and I were going through a frivolous, nine-million-dollar lawsuit and involuntary church plant (church split). Pastor Bob spent time with me, gave me counsel on what he would do in my situation, and gave me his card and personal phone number. He said if, after we acted on his counsel, everything “hit the fan,” to give him a call. Everything more than “hit the fan” after that, so I called him. He made himself available for us and came to mediate a very difficult meeting. 

At this time, several elders who had left our church were fighting with the new elders over our church building. Pastor Bob came that night, and God used him powerfully to bring peace between the two groups and an end to the dispute over the building. He also helped us determine who should lead the church going forward. Pastor Bob then wrote a letter I was able to read to the entire church body that God used to bring peace to our church family. God saved our church through our relationship with Pastor Bob Nichols, and it all began with one meeting to receive counsel. 

I have discovered that major kingdom relationships and connections are established through times of counsel. That counsel will keep you safe and keep you from making emotional decisions. Receiving counsel that will bring wisdom requires humility on your part. Pride does not receive the benefit of counsel or the wisdom that comes from it. 

“When pride comes, then comes shame; but with the humble is wisdom” (Proverbs 11:2).