Proverbs 12: 25 – 26 (NLT)
25 Worry weighs a person down;
an encouraging word cheers a person up.
26 The godly give good advice to their friends;
the wicked lead them astray.
Such beautiful words!
If you have a friend who is worrying about something, send them an encouraging message or card. Let them know you are thinking of them and supporting them. It can mean so much.
If you are worried about something, ask a committed Christ follower who you know for advice. The word ‘wicked’ in those verses sounds like the person is some evil horrible person. Who would ask for advice from someone like that? But if you define the word ‘wicked’ by someone who doesn’t follow God, then that widens the field a lot. A lot of non-Christians can give good advice, but they may also ‘lead you astray’ with advice that doesn’t follow God’s heart. So keep that in mind when you are looking for advice in a troublesome area of your life.
If you are a young person, find a mentor. Who is that? Someone you know who is an “all in” Christ follower who you respect, someone you think makes wise decisions. Maybe someone you like, and admire in some way. Get up the courage to ask them to be your mentor. It doesn’t mean you have to talk with them every day/week. You might meet once a month, but know you could call in-between if necessary.
If you are an older person and someone asks you to be their mentor, say yes. This is God’s way of challenging you.
Our song for today is Broken Things by Matthew West.