Years ago, before I was married, I worked at a prestigious law firm in downtown Cleveland. My desk was in a room with three other paralegals; we were all friends and mostly enjoyed each other's company. One of the girls was Catholic, and the other two professed no faith. I was the one who was very serious about my faith while being very naive in so many ways.

One of the girls in our room loved making fun of me. I normally just laughed it off until one day, before I began dating my husband, she began talking about her relationship with her boyfriend. When I asked her for more details, she said it was a legal matter and recommended I talk to my young lawyer boss to find out exactly what she was referring to.

Young, naive, and clueless, I knocked on his door and went in. We always had a great relationship and enjoyed some deep discussions about life. He was very open and helpful when I had a problem at work or personally.

I entered his room, he closed the file he was working on, and we chit-chatted for a bit. Finally, he asked if there was something I wanted. By this time, I was feeling a bit embarrassed to ask him, but he was eager to help. Before I could stop, the words came pouring out of my mouth. The look on his face made me realize I had trusted the wrong advice, and this was the wrong topic for a discussion with my young lawyer boss. I was devastated. His face told the story. I had gone too far.

A naive young girl, who had never dated or been around men, was fair game for people offering bad (or wicked) counsel. I was eager to learn, but didn't have the maturity to recognize when I was being set up. I thought I needed someone "with skin on" to help me sort through everything I'd heard to discover the truth.

That evening, as I was at home recovering from the devastating day I'd had, I opened my Bible and asked God to show me what happened. I was led to the Book of Psalms, beginning with the first verse of the first chapter.

The moment I read it, I realized what had happened. I took counsel from someone who made sport of giving wicked (unwise) counsel.

As I read, "walk in the counsel of the wicked," I saw everything clearly ... I fell into the trap because I failed to seek godly counsel.

As Christians, we are to be very selective about who we glean counsel from in our own lives.  We know our family is there for us (for the most part), but they don’t always share our passion for Christ.  We may have close friends we've known a long time, but who don’t know the Lord and are incapable of giving us Godly advice.  Many times, we have online friends who love to give us encouragement and help us feel good about ourselves, but they fail to lead us in the way we need to go—they don’t lead us to Christ; instead, they often lead us to depend on them. 

Jesus came to bless His people with salvation and freedom from bondage to sin and shame. He also came to lead us into a holy and separated life. He wasn't concerned about how we "feel" (good or bad), but about presenting us with the truth that will impact our eternal destiny and lead us to fulfill our purpose in the Kingdom of God.

When someone offers us advice without using wisdom from the Word to teach us and/or guide us, be warned. Judge the advice, pray for wisdom, and trust God to lead you in truth.

We are admonished to edify one another, but edification, encouragement, and counsel offered to others must be solidly anchored on the counsel of God's Word.

Beware of the counsel of the wicked! My example may be a bit lame, but it taught me a lesson I'll never forget. When someone suggests you do something, pray, discern, and heed God's voice.

Don't fall into the enemy's trap – his advice or counsel may sound great, but if it doesn't line up with godly counsel, reject it, resist it, and trust God!

Be blessed (see Psalm 1 - Part 1). Don'tf walk in the counsel of the wicked ... it comes with a great price – one you will likely regret.

"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

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© 2026 Jan Ross
All Rights Reserved

“Sit often under the influence of God’s Word.”🌻
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