Discerning Counsel
“But evil people and imposters will flourish. They will deceive others and will themselves be deceived. But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you.” 2 Timothy 3: 13-14
Steve’s message this past Sunday on good counsel has been especially useful for me this week. I learned that not all bad counsel comes from sitting down in front of someone or a group with the express purpose to be counseled. A few days ago I was seeking advice from an online source(trusted) with a technical issue I had to clear up. It turned out that this “trusted” source was a scam phishing for some unwitting(not paying attention) person to “fix” my problem.
Nothing about this attempt to “help” me felt right by my spirit. Everything about this also sounded crooked. Well, before this call got too far, I interrupted the phony with the unexpected reply of, ” Excuse me, I need to make a call…” I was met with a very anxious response and I just cut them off.
Quickly dialing my REAL trusted source, I was assured that this “phisher of men” had not been able to access my information and that nothing was lost. I reported the scam to them and told them that these people didn’t sound like anyone from this office, as I know the PROTOCOL very well.
Here’s what we need to be reminded of every day. Even counsel that is asked for, doesn’t always have your best interest in mind. But, know the voices(literally) around you, and you will discern quickly the counsel that was sent to you, not exploiting you. This requires daily listening, praying, and worship to keep your skills in the Spirit and in the natural on point, with purpose.