DAY 51 - SEEKING COUNSEL
KEATON TUCKER, YA GROUPS TEAM LEAD
“Then King Rehoboam took counsel with the old men, who had stood before Solomon his father while he was yet alive, saying, “How do you advise me to answer this people?” And they said to him, “If you will be a servant to this people today and serve them and speak good words to them when you answer them, then they will be servants forever.” But he abandoned the counsel that the old men gave him and took counsel with the young men who had grown up with him and stood before him... The young men said to him, “Tell the people: my little finger is thicker than my father’s thighs. And now, whereas my father laid on you a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.” 1 Kings 12:6-11
First—“My little finger is thicker than my father’s thighs...” if you need a new insult (don’t though) .
Second—yikes.
By the way, this decision was the catalyst to the divided Kingdom of Israel and its eventual fall and exile.
This story is fascinating in so many ways and this passage is just a small portion of the story. But here is the one thing I want you to know: be careful about taking advice from your friends only.
Be so, so, so careful.
King Rehoboam sought out insight from the “old men” who had been doing the wisdom giving thing for a long time. Then he talked to his friends who were so ego manic the best thing they could come up with is the thigh comment. But your friends who are 20 and filled with wisdom would never ever say something like that….
I am sure your friends are amazing and God-fearing people and I am sure they have walked with you through some stuff. I’m sure they have held you accountable and encouraged you. Friends are amazing! But for life advice and wisdom it is best not to receive it from people your own age. The best people to get advice and wisdom from are men and women of God who are much older than us. They just know more; they have lived much more life than us 20 somethings. It may feel like we have really got it figured out but in reality we don’t know all that much. Remember how in high school you knew more than your parents but now when you talk to a student you realize “wow you are just a kid!”. It’s the same thing.
One of the best things you can do to become a great leader is to seek wisdom and advice from an older generation.
Just to be clear—I am not saying to never listen to your friends. I’m saying a majority of your wisdom and advice should come from men or women who are older than you and have lived a life you want to live. Would you take relationship advice from a single person? Would you take money advice from a broke person? No, of course not. Don’t take much life advice from people who haven’t lived much life. Age gives a perspective and wisdom that we twenty-somethings don’t have. I am included in this. I personally only seek wisdom from solid and established Christian men who have lived much life. I’m talking about seeking wisdom for life, money, conflict, and spiritual growth. I do my best to listen to them because a few years ago I had a painful epiphany: I don’t know that much.
Thank God for the older generation who has gone before us. They are a gift to us and we all need their guidance and their wisdom.