Giving advice goes poorly so often, it is worth more careful thought about how we give it. We all need advice. We seek it every day. That is a wise and natural part of being a creature rather than the Creator. But we also know that advice can run from helpful to horrible, and it can bless a relationship or hurt it.
What is advice?
Advice is our opinion or our version of how Scripture should be applied in a given situation. It includes most anything that begins with an implied, “I think . . .” or “If I were you . . . .” It is not offered with Scripture’s authority, so it is best followed with “and what do you think?”
The Apostle Paul makes a distinction in 1 Corinthians between what God says and Paul’s specific application of godly wisdom. We could say that one is truth and the other opinion or advice. “To the married I give this command [from the Lord]” (v.10) in contrast with “Now about virgins: I have no command from the Lord, but I give a judgment as one who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy” (v. 25). Of course, when Paul gives his opinion, we listen. But he knows he is speaking in a different way—he is giving advice. Some followed it, some did not, as he would expect.
Giving advice well
Good advice, at its best, comes only after someone has asked for it . . . . .
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