The Power of Counsel in Navigating Life Challenges

The power of counsel in navigating life challenges cannot be overstated. As stated in Proverbs 24:6 (NLT), 'So don’t go to war without wise guidance; victory depends on having many advisers.' What we hear, see, touch, feel, stay close to, and commune with greatly impacts us, either positively or negatively. Every person is a product of information received and processed over time. We become what we consistently come in contact with.

Understanding Counsel

The word 'counsel' in relation to advice is synonymous with guidance, information, admonition, input, recommendation, assistance, suggestion, feedback, adjuration, instruction, coaching, teaching, solution, lesson, urging, warning, observation, mentoring, briefing, judgment, tip, data, answer, consideration, pointer, sermon, speech, lecture, alert, prompting, tutoring, interference, verdict, thoughts, direction, cautioning, alarm, priming, forewarning, hint, and caution. Critical analysis of these words provides deeper insight into the avenues through which counsel or advice is received. In life, we must watch what we hear, see, touch, and expose ourselves to, as they influence our decisions, sometimes unconsciously.

Channels of Advice

Channels of advice are pathways through which we receive guidance, information, assistance, teaching, feedback, directions, alarms, prompting, lessons, warnings, interference, mentoring, judgments, speech, and observation. Considering this, you will agree that we receive counsel even unconsciously every day. The traffic light on the road gives us advice, road signs provide guidance, and weather, natural occurrences, circumstances, life challenges, supports, and favors all offer counsel. However, we sometimes overlook these great counsellors without noticing or adhering to their good advice.

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People perish not for lack of caution but for ignorance, lack of attention, and poor adherence to signals. Every time life sends us strong signals through several portals, we receive frequencies and warnings, but we are not careful to track them. This may be because we are too busy, too noisy, very distracted, or full of ourselves, leading us to fall into problems we could have avoided.

Pride and Arrogance

One of the strongest reasons people fail to process counsel availed them by nature and life is arrogance and pride. Proverbs 16:18 says: 'Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.'

African Proverbs on Advice

Most African proverbial sayings teach us the significance of advice:

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'Advice no be curse.'
'Keep your advice to yourself.'
'What an old man sees sitting down, a child cannot see it even if he climbs an iroko tree.' (Nigeria/Yoruba – wisdom comes with age and experience).
'The words of the elders become sweet some day.' (General African – Advice might not be appreciated immediately, but will be understood later).
'Ears that do not listen to advice, accompany the head when it is chopped off.' (Zambia/Bemba – Ignoring advice leads to dire consequences).
'If you’re passing behind someone’s house and hear advice being given, pause and listen.' (General African – Take advice, even if it wasn’t intended for you).
'Give advice, if people don’t listen, let adversity teach them.' (General African – Advice cannot be forced).
'Wisdom is like a baobab tree; no one individual can embrace it.' (Ghana/Akan – No single person has all the answers).
'Only a fool tests the depth of a river with both feet.' (General African – Do not take reckless risks; act with prudence).
'A wise person doesn’t fall down the same hill twice.' (General African – Learn from mistakes).

Biblical Perspective on Counsel

The word 'counsel' in the King James Version (KJV) Bible, along with related forms like counsels and counselled, appears over 150 times, with 'counsel' itself appearing 143 times. Counsel as seen in the KJV refers to advice, consultation, deliberation, or a decree/plan, typically focusing on God’s divine guidance (Psalm 33:11) or wisdom offered by others (Proverbs 15:22). It implies a deliberate course of action, often contrasted between divine direction ('counsel of the Lord') and ungodly influence (Psalm 1:1, 33:11). The term implies a 'guide or compass' for making decisions that align with God’s will, preventing reckless mistakes and saving a person from ruin.

Daily we receive advice via social media, people’s mistakes and successes, learning environments, immediate surroundings, daily interactions, and unconscious meetings.