Unsolicited Bad Advice...

Do you know when someone is giving you bad advice?  If so, do you know how to respond to it?

It's bad enough when the advice is unsolicited, but even worse when it's bad advice.  Today I had someone attempt to direct me in a part of my life that is extremely sacred, but what they advised was contradictory to the word of God.   What made matters worse was that it was an older person who was supposed to be mature in the faith.  Thank goodness that I have common sense and know the difference between right and wrong and enough spiritual maturity to not be offended.

There are a few points to remember when someone gives you advice:

• Does the advice given line up with the word of God?
• Does the person giving advice have experience in that subject matter?
• What is their motivation behind their advice?
• Does the person giving the advice have a joyful demeanor?

While the advice given today, the person thought came from a good place in their heart, it fell on deaf ears because it promoted selfishness and pessimism, portrayed a negative outlook on the future and promoted the love of money over harmony.  Because their experience in that area was negative, the advice they gave didn't come from a good place.  Beware of unsolicited bad advice...

Isaiah 5:20... Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

I Timothy 6:10...For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.

Ephesians 4:29...Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

Thought For The Day...

Stop making everything about you, and ask God to show you who He has assigned to you, for you to bless.

-SoSerene

What Have You Learned?

HAPPY NEW YEAR - 2016!!!

The past three New Year's blogs have been challenges for us to be better individuals, by making intentional efforts to change our behaviors:

2015...No Excuses, Just Results - Refuse Negativity!

.....I've learned that when you make up your mind to do something good, you tend to meet unprovoked resistance from external forces.   But you have to be persistent and press forward.   In the meantime, go on living...

2014...Pursuit of Excellence! Try & Try Again!

.....Not all change is bad and not everyone will agree with your decisions.  I've lost good friends, changed churches, gotten married and changed positions at work, to name a few.  Some of these changes have been uncomfortable, but there has been remarkable growth as a result.  

"Change is inevitable; Growth is optional..."

- John C. Maxwell

2013...Focus Shift - It's Not All About You!

....I learned that when you make another person or people your focus, you get stretched.   God has to pull you outside of your comfort zone in order to accomplish His will.  But the gain completely outweighs the pain.  

What have you learned over the past few years?  Hopefully you can take the lessons learned and grow from them, so that you don't have to repeat the cycle.  Let 2016 be a year for continued progress and not do-overs.  

May you be God centered this year, forward thinking and forward moving....