The Prudence of Counsel

Plans fail for lack of counsel,
       but with many advisers they succeed.
Proverbs 15:22

          When we limit our planning to one or no counselors, we are really not planning correctly.  Too often, we choose only those counselors that agree with our thinking or we go to one counselor and immediately decide to go with the path they suggest.  However, we fail to remember that the more choices we possess, the greater will be our freedom to choose rightly.  It’s true that education opens up doors that we would never have known existed.  The same is true with seeking advice from a multitude of counselors.
         
          This is not to say that we need to get ourselves bogged down in continuing to search for one more suggestion.  But what the Bible directs is that with many counselors our influences will not be reduced to only a select few.  Even those we consider godly can err on one point or another.  There is always one point of contention that any person can get stuck on.  But when we have a multitude of advisors, or allow ourselves to consult different people we consider godly, we are regulating the chance that we will choose an unrighteous path.
         
          Choosing counselors is a little like gaining insight from commentaries on the Bible.  Some commentators get stuck on certain issues that cloud how they interpret selections of scripture.  They could be dead on in the majority of scripture, but because of their biases they unwittingly allow themselves to interpret a verse in a light it was never intended to be interpreted in.  With many advisors, the chance of error goes down and the chance of success goes up.  It’s not only good common sense, it’s biblical.

• A disciple submits himself to many advisors in order to gain a more perfect understanding

Application:  Do I limit my choices to only one or no advisors?  Where do I run when I need influential advice?