How do we protect ourselves from all of the crazy ideas, opinions, and false teachings floating around out there?
“Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.” Proverbs 11:14 [ESV]
My son, who is away at college, sent me a text the other day to let me know he had attended a bible study. Yes! I had been encouraging him to get plugged in with a group of fellow believers, so naturally, I was overjoyed by his news.
When I asked him how it went his reply caught me off guard. “They were really nice, but I’m confused about a few things that were said,” he wrote. What could he be confused about? I quickly sent him another text asking what was said.
After what seemed like an excessively long time, he finally texted me back. I about lost it when I read his list of things that were said in the study. No wonder he was so confused! The things that had been said were not true.
There is safety in community.
There are all kinds of opinions, crazy ideas, and false teachings floating around out there about God’s word. This is why it’s so important to stay in God’s word and surround ourselves with a community of trusted believers. If we don’t protect ourselves we could easily be lead astray by a few smoothly spun words.
What happened with my son reminded me of how vital it is to have people in our lives that we can go to for sound biblical advise. Thankfully my son reached out to me; I can only imagine what might have taken root in my son’s heart if he hadn’t talked to me about it. But because he sought my advice, I was able to point him to the truth and explain what God’s word actually said about the statements he had heard.
Seeking the council of a trusted brother or sister in Christ will help us to stay on the right path. –Tweet this!
So how do we protect ourselves from being lead astray? The next time we hear something that seems a little off or maybe just a little confusing, we need to pray for wisdom and seek God’s word for answers. Proverbs 27:17 tells us that one person sharpens another. Once we’ve searched the scriptures it’s good to discuss it with a trusted brother or sister in Christ. The wisdom and insight they can provide will not only encourage us to grow in our faith, it will also help us to stay on the right path.
Prayer:
“Lord I praise you for the people you have placed in my life to help keep me sharp and on the right path. Help me to remember to seek their counsel when I need it. Lord, I thank you that your word is readily available to me. Help me to stay rooted in your word and protect me from those who may try to lead me astray. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen!”
I realize that some of you may be in a season where you don’t have anyone to talk to about these things. I understand. There have been times in my life when I didn’t have anyone to go to for biblical advice. If you don’t have someone to talk to I encourage you to pray and ask God to bring a community of believers into your life. God is faithful and He will bring the right people into your life when you least expect it.
Thank you for joining me today. ~Kelly Basham
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I agree there is safety in community. I’m glad your son shared what was said with you so you could show him truth. Praying he finds a group teaching solid biblical truth!
Thank you Kelly!
I love this! It’s so easy to get lost with the crowd these days so it’s important that we remain grounded in God’s word.
Kelly, this is so very true. There are a lot of “opinions” out there and we must always be mindful to test them against the truth of the Word of God. Good reminder 😉
Yes yes this is so important! I totally agree and just had this conversation with my mom after church. Community keeps u s on track and holds us accountable. We need each other in this crazy world. Thanks for sharing ❤️
You are welcome.
It is beneficial to have a trusted community to talk things over with. It’s not always easy to discern God’s will totally on our own. Praying that your son discerns truth from fiction, but also that the doubts that come up will drive him into a deeper and truer faith.
Thank you Lisa. I appreciate the prayers. It’s my hope and prayer that this drives him into a deeper faith too!
Regular doses of truth, straight from the Word, is the only thing that keeps my mind on the right track!
I agree Michele. It’s so important to stay rooted in God’s word. And there really isn’t anything better than His word to keep us on the right track. But for those times when we need help understanding His word it’s good to have someone we can go to for biblical advise.
Absolutely true!