Choosing What You Want To Hear!

Ever been given advice you didn’t particularly want, even though you may have asked for it?

What defines advice as good or bad?
How it’s said?
When it’s said?
Who said it?
How many people said it?

I was reading 1 Kings 22 where King Ahab wanted advice on going to war. He asked his 400 prophets if he should go to war against Ramoth Gilead, and they all said a resounding yes!
But then Jehoshaphat questioned him on it, asking if there was not a prophet of the Lord he could inquire of.
This is what King Ahab responded with:

“There is still one man through whom we can inquire of the Lord, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me, but always bad.” (1 Kings 22:8)

If you carry on reading 1 Kings, you will see that things did not end well for King Ahab! All because he chose to listen to the crowd and refused to listen to someone he didn’t like!

As I read, I thought to myself, how often do I ask for advice, but only take on board what I want to hear?
Or only ask people I know will say what I want?
Or ignore advice from people I don’t necessarily like?

In this current season, I am doing my best to listen to the advice of others. Not just listen but also do! I haven’t always done well at this and in my rebellious years, wouldn’t listen to anyone I didn’t feel was on my side or who shared advice that was contrary to what I wanted to hear!

I am (slowly) learning that God will often speak through others, especially if I am ignoring His still small voice that whispers to me!
He will use the wisdom and advice of others to speak clearly to me! And often that advice will come from unlikely people, and may not be what I am wanting to necessarily hear! It is up to me if I take it on board, or like King Ahab, not heed the advice.

I need to be wise in who I listen to, but there is a difference between wisdom, and just choosing what I want to hear and who I want to hear it from.
I am finding that people will often see something that I cant and, sometimes they really do know what is best for me, even if it is not the easy option. God will sometimes use the most unlikely people to speak wisdom into our lives!

There is no substitute to hearing from God directly and reading His Word but in times of tiredness, lack, or even stubbornness, God will send His word through others. I am open and ready for all God has for me, and I am open and ready to listen to whoever God decides to speak to me through!

How about you?