I think it's still important to listen to this advice patiently, and to think about what our helpful "advisers" have said. Sometimes, this thought process can include a new list of goals, a carton of ice cream, or even tears. There's nothing wrong with that.
But we need to remember that there are two voices we need to listen to above all others: God's and our own. We need to put listening to God's voice at the top of our priority list. Then, we need to listen to our own inner voice. And yes, God's voice should always come first.
When we are in doubt about problems, or even well-meaning advice, we need to take it to God in prayer, and figure out how we feel about it. Sometimes, I figure out how I feel about something only after talking to God about it. Other times, in order to take my problem before God, I have to sort it out inside of myself.
There has never been a time that I didn't feel better about something after talking to God about it, even if I didn't get immediate clarification about what I should do about my problem. The Holy Spirit that's inside of us, the inner voice that tells us right from wrong, can also show us what we need to do, or even help us to understand why we're fighting against doing something that could help us later in life (my personal situation last night). So, listen to advice, but in the end, remember that God's voice is the most important. He will never lie, or lead you astray.
I just felt like I needed to talk about this today. To sum up:
- Listen to all well-meaning advice with grace
- Sort out how you feel about the problem
- Take the problem (and all possible solutions) to God in prayer
- Listen to what God tells you and act on it
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"Listen to advice and accept discipline, and at the end you will be counted among the wise" (Proverbs 19:20).
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