Proverbs 18:1 He who willfully separates and estranges himself [from God and man] seeks his own desire and violently opposes wise and sound judgment. (AMP, edited)

Have you rejected someone who gave you Godly wisdom?

Have you ever listened to wisdom from those you know love God and love you? Did you decide not to talk to them anymore because of what they said to you? Did you end the conversation because they didn’t see it your way? Did you separate yourself, possibly your friendship, and continue on the path you were on prior to the wisdom provided for you? 

Proverbs 1:7 The [reverent] fear of the Lord [that is, worshiping Him and regarding Him as truly awesome] is the beginning and the preeminent part of knowledge [its starting point and its essence]; But arrogant fools despise [skillful and godly] wisdom and instruction and self-discipline. (AMP)

There is a wonderful thing about the friends God placed in your life. They don’t require you to agree with their recommendations. However, you can always agree on the fact that they want to see God’s best manifested in your life. You do not base your relationship with God, and with those He places in your life, completely on a set of rules, ideas, and theologies. You can believe you have identified truth and gotten revelation from the Bible, yet you can still miss the power of God. To continue in love and grow through grace, don’t reduce all of Christianity to your philosophy and your understanding. Allow the power of God to be revealed in the fullness of time. You must receive wisdom, humbly.

1 Corinthians 13:9-10 For our knowledge is fragmentary (incomplete and imperfect), and our prophecy (our teaching) is fragmentary (incomplete and imperfect). 10 But when the complete and perfect (total) comes, the incomplete and imperfect will vanish away (become antiquated, void, and superseded). (AMPC)

If you continue to separate yourself, you will soon find yourself alone and a prime target for the enemy to pick you off. Therefore, don’t be unfriendly. Don’t ignore God’s voice when He speaks through your friends because you don’t like sound wisdom; you think they are wrong; you think they don’t understand; or you think they are picking on you. You can agree to disagree.

John 16:13 But when He, the Spirit of Truth (the Truth-giving Spirit) comes, He will guide you into all the Truth (the whole, full Truth). For He will not speak His own message [on His own authority]; but He will tell whatever He hears [from the Father; He will give the message that has been given to Him], and He will announce and declare to you the things that are to come [that will happen in the future]. (AMPC)

There is no need to fight and argue. No need to lose the people who are in your life as training coaches and partners as you learn to fight this war. If you are the one who is in the position as the mentor, remember these things:

• Don’t take offense if your mentee rejects your advice.
• Don’t allow your assignment to be altered by your mentee. He/she did not give it to you. God did.
• No matter how long you have been walking with God, you don’t know everything, and you can learn from your mentee if you will be open.

Always remember, what comes from the heart reaches the heart.

Please agree with me as I pray. Then ask the Lord what your prayer should be and wait for His response:

Father, there were times when I was younger, I rejected the advice of those You placed in my life. I did not know then what I know now. Actually, there have been times after I got older that I rejected sound advice as well. I was still learning. Both times, I wasn’t walking close enough with You. Thank You for helping me see I wasn’t rejecting them; I was rejecting You. Thank You for growing me up. Thank You for not rejecting me. You stayed with me until I understood You were working on me. Thank You for continuing to send more of Your servants into my life. Thank You for those who love You and want to see me fulfill Your plan for my life. Thank You for those who will speak what they believe is from You, even if I don’t like it. Now I know to accept what they say in love because they are giving me wisdom, leading me to You and helping me make godly choices. Now, if I don’t agree, I can take what they say to You in prayer and You will give me “the answer”, might be mine, might be theirs or it might be a combination of both. You have shown me this is not about who is right and who is wrong. You want to get the glory out of our lives. I repent for not seeing the error of my decisions then. Please keep me from walking down that path again. Father, I pray for my mentors and partners on this journey. Please replenish their lives with everything they empty out to speak into my life. I honor them because I know You sent them…

Ask the lord what he wants to say to you about today’s devotional and journal it here: