Proverbs 15:22-24
Each day we are faced with decisions of all shapes and sizes. Some seem small like what to eat for lunch or how to style your hair or which chair to sit in at the meeting. Others carry a life changing weight like the choice to move on from a relationship or answering the call to switch careers or responding to a relationship with Jesus.
No matter the true size of the decision, the choice cana feel daunting and overwhelming. As you consider altering your course, Proverbs advises us to seek counsel and act with prudence.
22 Without counsel plans fail,
but with many advisers they succeed.
23 To make an apt answer is a joy to a man,
and a word in season, how good it is!
24 The path of life leads upward for the prudent,
that he may turn away from Sheol beneath.
In my life, my counsel comes a group of people that I consider to be a board of directors to my life. These are the people that I give permission to be totally transparent in their assessments of the situation. They come from different areas of my life and compromise a good sample of my journey.
Around my table are my small group leader, three of my closest friends, my mom, one of my trusted colleagues and one of my best friends’ husband. Each person represents a different perspective, but all together they make up a complete view of my life.
Who’s on your board and at your table? Who are you giving the space to influence the course of your path? Here are the 5 people that you should invite into your decisions.
- A Family Member (Someone who knows your roots and has always been there)
- An Industry Mentor (Someone who’s ahead of you)
- A Spiritual Mentor (Someone who pushes you spiritually)
- A Brutally Honest Friend (Someone who has been in the thick of life with you)
- A Friend of a Different Gender (Someone who cares about you and brings a different perspective. Let’s face it: guys and girls just think differently.)
Gather those whom you trust and present your options. Prepare your heart to hear all sides and ask God for to hear clearly the counsel that comes from Him. Ultimately whatever you undertake is up to you, but with God’s guidance and a wise board of directors helping you act with prudence you will be on the upward path.