As followers of Jesus Christ, our direction shouldn’t come from people and be confirmed by God, it should come from God and if necessary, be confirmed by people. The Bible says: ‘Mortals make elaborate plans, but God has the last word. Humans are satisfied with whatever looks good; God probes for what is good. If we put God in charge of everything we do, and ask for His wisdom and guidance at every stage, our plans can’t fail because they’re really God’s plans. He made everything with a place and purpose’ (v.1-4 MSG). We might be able to do what someone else has done, and do it even better. But first we have to ask if God has called us to do that particular thing. Before following someone else’s guidance, do these: 1) Check the source of their wisdom. ‘The Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds success in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless…he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones. Then you will understand what is right and just and fair – every good path’ (Proverbs 2:6-9 NIV1984). 2) Check their motives. John wrote, ‘I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened’ (Revelation 20:12 NKJV). If one of those books were ‘the book of motives’, would our actions and accomplishments stand up under God’s scrutiny or would we be ashamed of some of the motives behind our successes? 3) Check the outcome they’re pursuing. If we chase success only because we want the power and admiration that goes with it, or we chase money just to ensure our own comfort, we’re going against one of the core principles of God’s Word: we’re blessed in order that we can be a blessing to others.
