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To Seek Or Not To Seek First seek the counsel of the Lord. (1 Kings 22:5) Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers, they succeed. (Proverbs 15:22) by Peggy Lively Verses like this encourage us to seek the counsel of others when making plans in our lives. However, in my own life, there have been a few occasions when I felt like wise counsel confused the issue and did not line up with what I believed God was leading me to do. One of these specific times occurred when I was in college. I believed (knew in my heart) that God was leading me to step down out of my sorority. This was strictly a personal, spiritual decision. As I wrestled with this decision (really wanting to stay in my sorority), I was encouraged to seek wise counsel. So I set up appointments with the head pastor of my church, and with Louie Giglio who was head of Choice Ministries at the time. As I met with my pastor (a wonderful man whom I love and respect), his wise counsel was not lining up with God's specific call on my life. I believe that his counsel was wise and Biblical, in general, but it did not fit my personal situation. Therefore, I left confused, questioning God's call on my life, and sort of excited that, "Maybe I do get to stay in my sorority!" Yet there still wasn't any peace. So a few days later, I met with Louie Giglio. I explained my situation to him and what was going on in my heart. Then I sat, waiting for his amazing wisdom and advice. And I will never forget what he said to me: "Well, it sounds like you already know what God has called you to do." That was it. He was right – I did! It was such a relief to just have someone affirm what I already knew. He didn't give me advice or tell me what to do; he just confirmed that I had already heard from God. You see, sometimes I think we seek man's counsel, forgetting that God himself promises to counsel us. "I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me" (Psalm 16:7). You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory" (Psalm 73:24). God has given us His Counselor, the Holy Spirit: "And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever – the Spirit of truth." (John 14:16-17). "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you" (John 14:26). God may lead us to do something that doesn't make sense to anyone else. But He has a different and specific plan for each of our lives. Can you imagine if Abraham had gotten wise counsel on whether or not to sacrifice his son Isaac? Or Noah on building the ark? They chose to obey even when it didn't make sense because they knew that they had heard from God. They entrusted Him with the outcome. We all have individual callings on our lives, and God still speaks, guiding us in whatever that is. Sometimes I think we hope that our wise counsel might tell us something different than God, that is, what we really want to hear. I'm not trying to discredit or discourage wise Biblical counsel from Spiritual leaders. I'm just trying to elevate and increase our awareness of the wise Counselor that we have already been given. His ways are higher than our ways and his thoughts are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:9).