When is it Important to Listen to Others?

It was my turn to present at the Mastermind group. Respected author and “Personality Doctor” Liz Morris formed the group to help others improve their ministries or businesses through an exchange of suggestions and ideas.

Always the overachiever, I did my homework by reflecting on a series of questions like:

What is your personal mission?: “To help women overcome past and present dysfunction.”

What are your personal traits?: “Loyal, Encourager, Analytical, Future-Minded, Over-Achiever, Enthusiastic.

What are your best rules of life?: 1. “Always treat others as you want to be treated; see others through God’s eyes.” 2. “Make the most of every second God gives you.” 3. “Just because it hasn’t been done before doesn’t mean it can’t be done.”

Perhaps these are questions you can ask yourself today.

Then I presented one dilemma where I needed help. I wanted suggestions on how to draw women to an October conference Pearls of Promise is planning with another ministry, OnCall Prayer, led by Sharon Hill. We named the conference, Breakthrough Conference: Moving the Mountains in Your Life. Popular speaker, Thelma Wells is our keynote at the event.

Much to my dismay, the group immediately discarded the name.

“Breakthrough is too overused.”

“It wouldn’t draw me.”

“You need something fresh like ‘Level-up.”

“Level-up?” Everyone gave the new title a thumbs up but me and one other.

I wasn’t sure about their advice, so I prayed about it. As I walked the following day, asking God to show me if this is the direction we should head, he confirmed what the Mastermind group suggested.

Level-up your prayer life.

Level-up your relationship with God.

Level-down the mountains in your life.

Then I remembered our verse for the conference from Isaiah 45:2: “I will go before you and will level the mountains; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron.” The word “level” was in there!

“Level-up” Conference it is.

Why do I tell this story?

It’s a reminder to always listen to godly counsel in our lives. We may think we need to go one way, but through the advice of others, God is prompting us to exit and take the turnaround. In the book of Proverbs, the Word shows us how important it is to seek help when making a decision.

“For lack of guidance a nation falls, but victory is won through many advisers” (Proverbs 11:14).

“The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice” (Proverbs 12:15).

“Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed” (Proverbs 15:22)

Do you have a big decision to make?

Is everyone telling you to avoid a situation, but you aren’t listening?

Pay attention to godly counsel, and as difficult as it is, be willing to change.