What Does the Bible Say About Advice?

What Does the Bible Say About Advice? There is much that the Bible says about godly advice, counsel, suggestions, correction, instruction, giving advice, and receiving advice. As faithful Christians, we should seek and follow God’s advice or godly counsel in all that we do, great and small. Failing to follow God’s advice or godly counsel will only lead to sorrow and destruction. We should also welcome godly advice from others including godly parents, spouses, leaders, friends, fellow believers, and loved ones. Seeking wise counsel is a sign of maturity and humility. Importantly, we should not be quick to reject any advice while at the same time making sure that the advice we receive does not go against God’s word. Nevertheless, we should not be too quick to give advice without properly understanding the situation at hand.

Giving advice is good but sometimes we just need to show love and pray. In as much as we are willing to give advice, we should also be willing to listen to and follow good advice, even when it is tough. Wise people appreciate and follow good, godly advice. By following godly advice, we become wise.
Proverbs 19:20 says, “Hear counsel, receive instruction, and accept correction, that you may be wise in the time to come.”
Proverbs 3:12 says, “For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.”
Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.“
Proverbs 12:15 says, “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.”
Proverbs 11:14 says, “Where no wise guidance is, the people fall, but in the multitude of counselors there is safety.”

What Does the Bible Say About Advice?

Brethren, it is without a doubt that life is challenging. Life sometimes presents us with decisions that are not easy to make on our own. In such situations, it is wise for us to pray, read God’s Word, and seek godly advice for guidance. Advice from godly people can be very helpful in such moments of confusion and uncertainty. The Bible explicitly points to the benefit of godly counsel and the damage of ungodly counsel. Proverbs 12:5 says, “The thoughts of the righteous are just; but the counsels of the wicked are deceitful.” As such, it is important that when seeking counsel, we examine the character and values of the person from whom we receive advice. Likewise, we are to consider a person’s motives when evaluating the merit of their advice.

Notice how receiving advice from a person who has a vested interest or potential gain from the decision we make can lead us astray. Surprisingly, there are times when misleading advice can come from people who care about us but give advice based on their own fears, insecurities, or expectations. It’s important for us to seek advice from people who know and love God, seek His will, and will be faithful to the truth of God’s Word. In examining the counsel we give as well as receive from others, we need to ask ourselves the question, “Does this advice fit the character and nature of the Lord God Almighty as portrayed in the Bible?“
1 Thessalonians 5:21 says, “but test everything; hold fast what is good.“
1 Corinthians 2:15 says, “But the spiritual man [the spiritually mature Christian] judges all things [questions, examines and applies what the Holy Spirit reveals], yet is himself judged by no one [the unbeliever cannot judge and understand the believer’s spiritual nature].”

Biblical Counseling

What is Biblical Counseling? Biblical counseling is a fluid event and process in which a Spirit-filled or Spirit-empowered Christian ministers the Word to others. It’s a pastoral activity, a product of the spiritual gift of exhortation. It focuses on the application of God’s Word and Walking in God’s Spirit when dealing with matters of life. This aspect of discipleship is one in which a follower of Jesus Christ in the service of the Holy Spirit provides godly counsel/advice to others. Notice that for the counsel to be Biblical, it must be rooted in God, exalting of Jesus Christ, enabled by the Holy Spirit, and offered in love. For Biblical counseling to be rooted in God, it must acknowledge the sovereignty and authority of God in all things, and rely upon God’s Word for knowledge, wisdom, and direction. Likewise, it should reflect compassion and love.

The Gospel is the Core Message of Biblical Counseling which renews human hearts and sets them on the right path to God. Therefore, our counsel must uphold the deity of Christ, His message, His incarnation, the sufficiency of His wrath-bearing death on the cross, His burial and resurrection, His future or second coming, His present and future kingdom, and His ultimate judgment of the world. Our counsel should present Jesus Christ as Who He Is. As Christians, we live in the service of God’s Spirit. We are His ministers of grace. And as such, we actively trust the Holy Spirit to enable our counsel and transform the lives of the counselees. The relationship between the counselor and the counselee should be filled with and shaped by Biblical love.
1 John 4:7 says, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.“

Biblical Counseling Guidelines

Actively listen and make sure that you have properly understood the situation at hand before proceeding to speak (Proverbs 20:5).
Employ discernment (Proverbs 17:28).
Give a Biblical or Godly counsel (Matthew 5:38).
Evaluate your counselee’s interest in your advice (Matthew 7:1).
Trust in God to bring a solution to whatever problem your counselee has (Philippians 2:13).

Understanding the Difference Between Psychology and Biblical Counseling

Secular psychology is centered on the teachings of psychoanalysts such as Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, and Carl Rogers. On the other hand, Biblical, or nouthetic, counseling is centered mainly on the revealed Word of God. Biblical counseling regards Scripture as sufficient to equip Christians for every good work (2 Timothy 3:17). Biblical counselors believe and teach that man’s basic problem is spiritual in nature and as such atheists psychologists, who are spiritually dead themselves, have no real or true insight into the human condition. What is usually referred to as “Christian counseling” is different from “Biblical counseling” in that Christian counseling often makes use of secular psychology in addition to the Bible. Behold, this is not to say that a Christian counselor is not also a Biblical counselor. Still, most of the time Christian counselors are Christians who integrate secular psychology into their counseling.
Note that Biblical or nouthetic counselors on their part fully reject secular psychology.

It is worth noting that most psychology is humanistic in nature. Secular humanism rejects faith, the supernatural, and the Bible but explicitly promotes mankind as the highest standard of truth and morality. Thus, secular psychology is man’s self-serving attempt to understand and repair the spiritual side of man without reference to or recognition of the supernatural. Nevertheless, the Bible explicitly declares that mankind is a unique creation of God, made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26, 2:7). The Bible clearly deals with man’s spirituality, including his Fall into Sin, sin’s consequences, and man’s present relationship with God.

The Problem with Secular Psychology

Secular psychology is centered on the atheist ideas that man is basically good and that the answers to his problems fully lie within him. The Bible tells us something completely different. Man is not “basically good“; he is “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1), and the unregenerate heart is “deceitful and beyond all cure” (Jeremiah 17:9). Following this, the biblical counselor takes a drastically different approach: instead of seeking solutions to spiritual problems within one’s own limited mind, he seeks to address the problem of sin, obtain wisdom from above (James 3:17), and apply the Word of God to the situation.

The Difference Between Biblical Counselors, Psychotherapists, and Some Christian Counselors

Biblical counselors, as opposed to psychotherapists, and some Christian counselors, regard the Bible as the one and only main source of a comprehensive and detailed approach to counseling (2 Timothy 3:15-17; 2 Peter 1:4). Biblical counseling is all about letting God speak for Himself through His Word. Furthermore, it seeks to minister the love of the One and only True Living God, a love that deals with the problem of sin and produces obedience.

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Psychotherapy is need-based. The needs for acceptance, self-esteem, love, and significance tend to dominate. It is believed that if these needs are met, people will be kind, happy, and moral; if these needs are unmet, people will be hateful, miserable, and immoral. Biblical counseling explicitly teaches that true happiness, peace, and satisfaction can only be achieved from a relationship with God and a pursuit of godliness. For example, while the obedient child of God will find satisfaction in his joyful, unselfish giving (2 Corinthians 9:7), it’s clear that no amount of psychotherapy can make a selfish person unselfish. This is an indication that psychology doesn’t work with Biblical counseling. Secular psychology starts and ends with man and his little ideas. True Biblical counseling points counselees to Christ and the Word of God.

What Does the Bible Say About Advice?

Proverbs 15:22 – “Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed.”

Proverbs 19:20 – “Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future.”

Proverbs 11:14 – “Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.“

Isaiah 9:6 – “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Proverbs 24:6 – “For by wise guidance you can wage your war, and in abundance of counselors there is victory.“

Proverbs 12:15 – “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.”

Proverbs 27:17 – “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.”

Proverbs 3:5-6 – “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”

John 16:13 – “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.”

Luke 14:28 – “For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?“

James 3:17 – “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.“

Proverbs 13:20 – “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.”

Group 1 – What Does the Bible Say About Advice

Proverbs 1:7 – “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

1 Kings 12:6-8 – “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 your 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.“

James 1:5 – “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”

1 Peter 4:11 – “whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

Revelation 1:1 – “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John,“

Proverbs 13:10 – “By insolence comes nothing but strife, but with those who take advice is wisdom.”

Ephesians 6:4 – “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”

Group 2 – What Does the Bible Say About Advice

Proverbs 12:5 – “The thoughts of the righteous are just; the counsels of the wicked are deceitful.”

Proverbs 28:26 – “Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.“

John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.“

Ecclesiastes 4:13 – “Better was a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who no longer knew how to take advice.”

Proverbs 16:9 – “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.“

Proverbs 17:17 – “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”

Genesis 2:24 – “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”

Proverbs 18:24 – “A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”

Group 3 – What Does the Bible Say About Advice

Psalm 119:24 – “Your testimonies are my delight; they are my counselors.“

1 Peter 4:8 – “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.”

Isaiah 41:10 – “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.“

2 Timothy 1:7 – “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”

Proverbs 12:18 – “There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.“

Ephesians 4:29 – “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.“

Proverbs 14:15 – “The simple believes everything, but the prudent gives thought to his steps.“

Colossians 3:23 – “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,“

1 Corinthians 4:14 – “I do not write these things to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children.”

Jeremiah 38:15 – Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, “If I tell you, will you not surely put me to death? And if I give you counsel, you will not listen to me.”

Genesis 2:18 – Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”

Group 4 – What Does the Bible Say About Advice

Proverbs 3:12 – “For the Lord reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.”

Proverbs 27:9 – “Oil and perfume make the heart glad, and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel.“

John 3:16-17 – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.“

Group 5 – What Does the Bible Say About Advice

2 Timothy 3:16 – “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,“

Romans 8:1-4 – “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.“

James 4:10 – “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.”

Psalm 32:8 – “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.“

Jeremiah 29:11 – “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

Hebrews 10:24-25 – “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.“

Group 6 – What Does the Bible Say About Advice

Ephesians 4:2-3 – “With all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

Proverbs 6:20-23 – “My son, keep your father’s commandment, and forsake not your mother’s teaching. Bind them on your heart always; tie them around your neck. When you walk, they will lead you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; and when you awake, they will talk with you. For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life,“

Proverbs 31:10 – “An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels.”

Revelation 1:1-20 – “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near. John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. …“

Group 7 – What Does the Bible Say About Advice

Luke 1:37 – “For nothing will be impossible with God.”

1 Peter 5:6-7 – “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.“

Romans 12:2 – “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

Proverbs 15:31-33 – “The ear that listens to life-giving reproof will dwell among the wise. Whoever ignores instruction despises himself, but he who listens to reproof gains intelligence. The fear of the Lord is instruction in wisdom, and humility comes before honor.“

Proverbs 19:8 – “Whoever gets sense loves his own soul; he who keeps understanding will discover good.”

John 15:13 – “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”

Matthew 7:24 – “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”

Luke 14:28-30 – “For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’“

Group 8 – What Does the Bible Say About Advice

Proverbs 12:4 – “An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, but she who brings shame is like rottenness in his bones.“

Ecclesiastes 11:2 – “Give a portion to seven, or even to eight, for you know not what disaster may happen on earth.“

2 Corinthians 6:14 – “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?“

Isaiah 30:1 – “Ah, stubborn children,” declares the Lord, “who carry out a plan, but not mine, and who make an alliance, but not of my Spirit, that they may add sin to sin;”

Proverbs 27:5-6 – “Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy.”

Ephesians 5:25 – “Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,”

Proverbs 23:19-21 – “Hear, my son, and be wise, and direct your heart in the way. Be not among drunkards or among gluttonous eaters of meat, for the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and slumber will clothe them with rags.“

Proverbs 22:24-25 – “Make no friendship with a man given to anger, nor go with a wrathful man, lest you learn his ways and entangle yourself in a snare.“

Group 9 – What Does the Bible Say About Advice

Proverbs 12:26 – “One who is righteous is a guide to his neighbor, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.”

Romans 12:10 – “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.“

John 3:3 – Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

1 Timothy 4:8 – “For while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.”

James 1:2 – “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,“

Job 2:11 – “Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that had come upon him, they came each from his own place, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. They made an appointment together to come to show him sympathy and comfort him.”

Exodus 20:12 – “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.”

Group 10 – What Does the Bible Say About Advice

Proverbs 30:18-19 – “Three things are too wonderful for me; four I do not understand: the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a serpent on a rock, the way of a ship on the high seas, and the way of a man with a virgin.“

Proverbs 14:29 – “Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.“

Romans 8:28 – “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

John 10:10 – “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.“

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Proverbs 20:18 – “Plans are established by counsel; by wise guidance wage war.”

Proverbs 24:27 – “Prepare your work outside; get everything ready for yourself in the field, and after that build your house.“

Mark 10:9 – “What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”

Matthew 19:9 – “And I say to you: whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery.”

Group 11 – What Does the Bible Say About Advice

1 Chronicles 16:11 – “Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!“

Proverbs 21:5 – “The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance, but everyone who is hasty comes only to poverty.“

Ruth 1:16-17 – But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.”

Colossians 3:14 – “And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.”

Hebrews 13:1-25 – “Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body. Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” …“

Group 12 – What Does the Bible Say About Advice

Ecclesiastes 4:12 – “And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 – “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.“

1 Peter 3:7 – “Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.”

1 Corinthians 15:33 – Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”

James 3:13 – “Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.”

Matthew 6:34 – “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

Revelation 3:18 – “I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see.“

Group 13 – What Does the Bible Say About Advice

1 Corinthians 13:13 – “So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”

Ephesians 5:15-16 – “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.“

2 Kings 2:2 – And Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here, for the Lord has sent me as far as Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel.

Proverbs 18:22 – “He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord.“

Genesis 1:27-28 – So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

Song of Solomon 8:7 – “Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. If a man offered for love all the wealth of his house, he would be utterly despised.“

Group 14 – What Does the Bible Say About Advice

Galatians 6:1 – “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.”

Proverbs 3:1-35 – “My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments, for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you. Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. …“

1 Peter 5:7 – “Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.“

John 13:6-9 – He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!”

Proverbs 1:1-3 – “The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel: To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight, to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity;“