You Could Get Too Much Advice

For lack of guidance a nation falls, but many advisers make victory sure. Proverbs 11:14


There are two extremes when it comes to seeking advice. On one side you have the folks who have to consult every possible person that they know out of fear for making the wrong decision. I have a friend who began the quest of changing the carpet in their house about 20 years ago. They have solicited many opinions over the years. A decision was never made. I don’t believe that the carpet has ever been changed. In fact, I think maybe they have a different house now.


The problem with too much counsel is that you sort of allow too many cooks into the kitchen, if you will. Rather than having one or two great cooks to guide you, you have everybody weighing in. That’s only a great place to be if you don’t really want to make the decision at all.


The other extreme is to just make a decision without any advisors. Whether you just go with your gut or toss and turn for many sleepless nights, you make the decision on your own. Right or wrong, good or bad the decision is yours alone. You will probably be blindsided by something because it’s very difficult for one person to see every side of an issue.


This proverb is advocating something in the middle of that. Again, proverbs are not a money-back guarantee of any kind. But, they do indicate what typically works in most cases.


We are directed to seek out many advisors (but not too many). Obviously, we would need to consult with everyone that the decision would affect. But, we also need to find trusted advisors who have no stake in the matter. They can give us a more objective opinion and help us weigh things out.


Sometimes when we want something badly, it’s easy to invent ways to believe that what we are doing is right. We all need people who know us well enough that they can tell us to cut the bull and look at the situation more realistically.


Who advises you? Do you have people of noble character in your life? Are they experts in their field? Do they share your values and beliefs? Are they a little older than you? Have they given you good advice before? Seek out wise advisors when you make a decision.