What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

TRUST GOD, NOT YOURSELF

There is a lot of advice in the world.

Follow your heart.
Believe in yourself.
Do what makes you happy.
Trust your instincts.
Live your truth.

Some advice may sound inspiring, but the best advice I have ever received did not tell me to put my confidence in myself.

It told me to trust God.

And I have discovered that this is not merely good advice for difficult seasons. It is a way to live.

TRUST IN THE LORD

One of the greatest pieces of counsel in the entire Bible is found in Proverbs:

Proverbs 3:5–6 (KJV)

“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

If I could give someone one piece of advice for navigating life, this would be very close to the top:

Trust God completely.

Not only when you understand what He is doing.

Not only when the circumstances make sense.

Not only when the answer comes quickly.

Not only when everything appears to be working in your favour.

Trust Him with all your heart.

There will be moments when your understanding cannot explain your circumstances. There will be junctions where you simply do not know which road to take.

God never asked us to know everything.

He asked us to trust the One who does.

DON’T BUILD YOUR LIFE AROUND YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING

The second part of that Scripture is equally powerful:

“…lean not unto thine own understanding.”

That is difficult for human beings.

We like explanations.

We like certainty.

We like knowing what happens next.

But our understanding is limited.

We see today; God sees tomorrow.

We see the obstacle; God sees the way around it.

We see the closed door; God knows why it needed to remain closed.

We see what we lost; God knows what He is preparing.

That is why Scripture says:

Isaiah 55:8–9 (KJV)

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Sometimes what looks like a delay to you may actually be divine preparation.

Sometimes what looks like rejection may be divine protection.

Sometimes what looks like an interruption may be divine redirection.

Don’t make permanent decisions based solely on what you can presently see.

Acknowledge God.

ASK GOD FOR WISDOM

One of the greatest mistakes we can make is to seek everybody’s opinion before seeking God’s wisdom.

The Bible gives us another remarkable piece of advice:

James 1:5 (KJV)

“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.”

You don’t have to know everything.

But you need to know how to ask the One who does.

Before making that major decision, pray.

Before entering that relationship, pray.

Before walking away, pray.

Before accepting that opportunity, pray.

Before responding in anger, pray.

Before making that financial commitment, pray.

Before following the crowd, ask:

“Lord, what are You saying?”

One instruction from God can save you from years of unnecessary trouble.

PUT GOD FIRST

Jesus gave us another life-defining instruction:

Matthew 6:33 (KJV)

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

Notice the order:

God first.

Not God after everything else has failed.

Not God when you have exhausted your options.

Not God when you finally have some spare time.

God first.

Put God first in your morning.

Put God first in your decisions.

Put God first in your marriage.

Put God first in your career.

Put God first in your finances.

Put God first in your plans.

Put God first in your future.

Life becomes unnecessarily complicated when we continually try to make God fit around everything else.

Jesus says: Seek Him first.

GUARD YOUR HEART

Here is another piece of biblical wisdom that can save you from tremendous pain:

Proverbs 4:23 (KJV)

“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”

Be careful what enters your heart.

Be careful what you continually watch.

Be careful what you continually listen to.

Be careful whose voices become influential in your life.

Be careful what bitterness you allow to remain.

Be careful what thoughts you continually entertain.

Everything does not deserve access to your heart.

Guard it.

Your heart affects your choices, your relationships, your attitudes and ultimately the direction of your life.

FORGIVE

Here is advice that can be difficult to practise but incredibly liberating:

Forgive.

Jesus said:

Mark 11:25 (KJV)

“And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”

Forgiveness does not mean pretending that what happened was right.

It means refusing to allow what somebody did yesterday to control your heart today.

Do not carry bitterness into your future.

Forgive.

Release people.

Keep your heart free.

And keep moving with God.

DON’T WORRY ABOUT TOMORROW

If there is one lesson many of us repeatedly need, it is this:

Stop trying to live tomorrow today.

Jesus said:

Matthew 6:34 (KJV)

“Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”

You don’t have tomorrow’s strength today because you don’t need it yet.

When tomorrow comes, God’s grace will be there.

Handle today with God.

Pray today.

Obey today.

Work today.

Love people today.

Do what God has placed before you today.

Then trust Him with tomorrow.

AND ABOVE EVERYTHING ELSE—COME TO JESUS

But perhaps the greatest advice the Bible gives is not merely about how to live.

It is about Who gives us life.

You can gain money and still miss God.

You can build a successful career and still miss God.

You can become famous and still miss God.

You can accomplish your ambitions and still lose what matters eternally.

Jesus asked one of the most sobering questions ever recorded:

Mark 8:36–37 (KJV)

“For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”

Nothing you achieve on earth can compensate for entering eternity without Christ.

That is why the greatest invitation in Scripture is ultimately an invitation to Jesus.

John 3:16 (KJV)

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

Jesus Christ died for our sins and rose again.

Through Him, we can be forgiven.

Through Him, we can be reconciled to God.

Through Him, we can receive eternal life.

Romans 10:9–10 (KJV)

“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

So, if you ask me:

“What is the best advice the Bible gives?”

I would summarise it this way:

Trust God.
Seek Him first.
Ask Him for wisdom.
Guard your heart.
Forgive quickly.
Don’t live tomorrow’s worries today.
Obey God’s Word.
And above everything else—give your life completely to Jesus Christ.

Because at the end of everything, the greatest success is not merely having lived a long life, a wealthy life, or even an accomplished life.

It is having lived God’s life, God’s way, for God’s purpose—and being ready to meet Him.

Ecclesiastes 12:13 (KJV)

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”

That is advice worth building an entire life upon.

What is one piece of biblical advice that has changed the way you live? Share it in the comments. Someone else may need that Scripture today.

The Message Bearer, Cornelius Bella