Listening to Wise Advice

<p>During the American Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln once found himself wanting to please a politician, so he issued a command to transfer certain Union Army regiments. When the secretary of war, Edwin Stanton, received the order, he refused to carry it out. He said that the president was a fool. Lincoln was told what Stanton had said, and he replied: &ldquo;If Stanton said I&rsquo;m a fool, then I must be, for he is nearly always right. I&rsquo;ll see for myself.&rdquo; As the two men talked, the president quickly realized that his decision was a serious mistake, and without hesitation he withdrew it. Though Stanton had called Lincoln a fool, the president proved himself wise by not digging in his heels when Stanton disagreed with him. Instead, Lincoln listened to advice, considered it, and changed his mind.</p> <p>Have you ever encountered someone who simply wouldn&rsquo;t listen to wise advice? (See 1 Kings 12:1&ndash;8.) It can be infuriating, can&rsquo;t it? Or, even more personal, have you ever refused to listen to advice? As Proverbs 12:15 says, &ldquo;The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice.&rdquo; People may not always be right, but the same goes for us! Knowing that everyone makes mistakes, only fools assume they&rsquo;re the exception. Instead, let&rsquo;s exercise godly wisdom and listen to the wise advice of others&mdash;even if we initially disagree. Sometimes that&rsquo;s exactly how God works for our good (v. 2).</p>