Divine Counsel

Here is something that you may or may not know about me. I love people. I believe that other people are on of God's top 3 ways that He speaks to us (His word, His Holy Spirit, His children). I love to be in relationship and counsel with people about my leadership and about my life. I do not know where I would be today had it not been for leaders that I have put myself around. Call them mentors, call them coaches, call them friends...God has placed some of His choice servants in my life and I praise him for that today. People like my wife, my parents, my siblings, my friends, my professors, my Bishop, The staff I work with every day, and many pastors and leaders that are both local and out of state.

One of the things that I really treasure is my relationship with a few Pastors with gray (or white) hair who have been at this for many, many years and they have already led through whatever might be staring me in the face. There is one particular influencer in my life over the last few years that has been worth a million. Every time I leave the lunch table after being with him, all I can think is "how was counsel worth so much just given for free." I reckon he probably wouldn't mind a check in the mail though, smile. Have you ever had that feeling? The feeling that you should be paying BIG bucks for counsel that fresh!

Well, yesterday, a good friend and coach handed me a napkin with 7 passages of scripture written on it. He told me that these verses needed to me my quiet time this morning. I carried that napkin in my pocket all day yesterday. When I went to bed last night, I laid it on top of my wallet and whispered "Lord, speak to me in the morning." Even as I said those words, I felt the Holy Spirit near. Well, He answered and He spoke! The passages that I dwelled in (and wept over) this morning were a series of passages from II Corinthians. Maybe you want to share in them as well. I will share with you the passages that impacted me the most this morning (click on them to link to them). I plan to sit with them a lot more in the next few days.

II Corinthians 1:12
II Corinthians 3:1-3
II Corinthians 7:1-4

You know a good friend or counselor when they point you in the direction of the divine counsel of God through His word. That voice, those words, impact me more deeply than any person ever can!