“But they did not obey or incline their ear, but walked in their own counsels and the stubbornness of their evil hearts, and went backward and not forward.” – Jeremiah 7:24
Was Jeremiah talking about the people of ancient Israel some 2600 years ago? Yes, he was and they suffered badly for their continued stubborn disobedience. Do these same words describe many people, including many professing Christians, today? Unfortunately, the answer to that is also yes. Be careful not to let these words describe you.
God’s people are often tempted to “walk in their own counsel”, meaning doing whatever they think best rather than what God has commanded. We like to tune our ears to teachers and advisors who say what we want to hear rather than those speaking God’s word with fidelity. Our minds bubble up with reasons why our situation is different, why we’re different, and why God’s Word is for and about someone or something else. Don’t fall into clever reasoning about why the plain words of Scripture don’t apply to you. They do! If they plainly apply, apply them! Don’t look for ways to ignore them. Walk in God’s wise counsel rather than your own limited (shall we say) counsel.
Don’t be stubborn of heart, be tender of heart. Don’t dig in and double-down on things once you realize God has a different perspective from you. Be quick to adopt God’s perspective. You won’t regret it! #FollowJesus