I’ve been a Christian for as long as I can remember and one of things I struggled with earlier was how to handle a situation where someone out rightly rejects my best advice. I mean, I filtered the decision through God’s word, prayer and my experience and I gave someone sound advice just to have it turned down?
That hurt the more when the person who did not take the advice was the one who asked for it. And it hurt even more when my advice turned out to be the best course of action that could have been taken under the circumstance. I felt slighted, and angry, refusing to offer any more advice. But overtime, God began to show me that I was not the one rejected, He was. If I had used His word to give the advice, the person who rejected the advice did not slight me, he/ she slighted the author of the word – the Holy Spirit.
In the Bible, Paul advised his fellow ship passengers that their trip was to end in catastrophe, and that they should hold out. The centurion over the ship scoffed at the advice and instead took the advice of someone else. A strong and terrible wind rocked the boat in so much that all the passengers feared for their lives. After many days, Paul spoke:
Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss. And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but the ship.
In spite of the fact that his advice was rejected the first time, Paul still found it in his heart to offer another advice. This time, it was adhered, and Paul literately became the leader of the ship. His every word was accepted and the passengers were at his beck and call. He led them to safety, and there was no loss of life.
Can you relate to this? Do you often give your best advice only to have someone throw it on the ground, spit and stomp on it before discarding? In 2 Samuel 17, Ahithophel, a wise man, gave Absalom some solid and wise advice. Absalom rejected it. Ahithophel went and hanged himself because of this rejection. Please don’t imitate Ahithophel. The advice here is: Do not withhold your advice further just because the advice you gave earlier was rejected. Continue to give advice. Remember, you were not rejected, God was – for His word was the basis, the foundation of your advice. Also understand that your advice being rejected only creates an opportunity for you to lead.
