Advice is offered today from everyone. Books are written to provide "how to" information. TV promotions regarding every area of life are beamed into our living rooms. Our friends freely share the plan of action they think we should take on whatever issue is before us. Likewise, people turn to us for advice as they face different circumstances. How can we sort out all that is presented and how can we make sure we give the right advice to others?
In Acts 6:1-6 the church was in distress. There was murmuring about how people's needs were being met. They needed helpers who would be wise in their actions. So they chose a number of men to serve. Their qualifications give us some insight into what needs to be true of both the source of advice we receive and our own life as we try to assist others. These chosen men were to be "of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom." One of the chosen men was Steven who was described as a "man full of faith and the Holy Spirit." Later in Acts 6:19 it is said of him that "they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke." We need to make sure that our reputation is good by allowing the Holy Spirit to lead us in our decisions and in the advice we give.
James 3: 17-18 gives us additional guidelines to make filter out the bad wisdom from the good. We read "the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. As we listen to advice given and as we give out our own counsel we need to evaluate it according to God's description and make sure that it is from above.
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