Is it good to get advice about a problem?
Question:
Hi Mr. Hamilton,
Thank you again for your time and thoughtful answers. I’ve read through everything you shared, and I’m doing my best to trust the truth over my feelings, even though it is tough for me.
I have another question— if that’s alright? Do you believe I’ve obeyed Scripture in seeking godly counsel for this situation? And if so, would continuing to dwell on these fears now be disobedience? I want to be sure it’s okay to move forward, even when I still feel unsure and scared. My heart desires to honor and obey God.
Also, could you please help me better understand the role of godly counsel in situations like this? I want to treat your counsel and answers with the weight the Bible gives to godly wisdom.
Thank you again for your patience and grace—it’s meant more to me than I can say!
Answer:
A wise man seeks counsel. "Where there is no wise guidance, the nation falls, but in the multitude of counselors there is victory" (Proverbs 11:14). Earthly wisdom is focused on oneself. Thus, we should not be surprised that a fool thinks his ideas are best. "The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he who is wise listens to counsel" (Proverbs 12:15). However, the wise man knows that he doesn't know everything. He realizes that his personal bias can cause him to be blind. "I know, O LORD, that a man's way is not in himself, nor is it in a man who walks to direct his steps" (Jeremiah 10:23).
To find the best solution, we must consider all possibilities, especially those we might not have considered ourselves. It is one reason we study the Bible. "A wise man will hear and increase in learning, and a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel" (Proverbs 1:5). At the same time, we realize that any old counsel is not good. We want counsel from people knowledgeable in that field. I’m not going to ask my mechanic about the leak in my home’s roof. My doctor might not be the best person to ask why my car is idling roughly. Thus, we are warned not to follow the advice of the wicked. "Blessed is the man who doesn't walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers" (Psalms 1:1).
The difficulty people run into when seeking out advice is that they often turn to "experts" without considering the source from which the expert is drawing his advice. The greatest source of wisdom is God (Proverbs 9:9-11). The surest councils are God’s (Proverbs 19:20-21). Thus, I direct people to what God has said in the Bible when they ask for advice.
Response:
Mr. Hamilton,
Thank you so much for taking the time to respond to me. I sincerely apologize for reaching out multiple times. I’ve been struggling with anxiety and obsessive thoughts, and I let my emotions get the best of me. As you already noted in a previous response about OCD, you were correct.
I truly appreciate your patience, wisdom, and the way you consistently point back to God’s Word as the ultimate source and guide. Your guidance has helped me take a step back, trust the truth, and rest in it. Even when my fears or OCD flare up, I am learning to choose to rest in Him and His promises and by the guidance and instructions in His Word. I don’t want to be a fool who trusts only in himself, but a wise man trusts the wisdom and guidance given to me.
Thank you again for your time and ministry. Please know how grateful I am for your work. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for answering the hard questions many won’t on your website and for correcting and guiding me and others in truth. I know you would have told me if there was anything I needed to do in my marriage, and I trust your counsel because it is grounded in Scripture.
Please know I am heeding the counsel you have graciously and abundantly given me. Thank you for leading me in His truth and reminding me that only a fool trusts their feelings.
God bless you!
