Where Do You Go for Advice?
HAS anyone ever passed counterfeit money on to you? Perhaps not, but how would you react if someone told you that false money was circulating? Would you take offense? Of course not! You would more likely be grateful that you were alerted and take care not to give up some of your hard-earned, genuine money for the false.
Most of us receive advice or warnings from time to time. True, some warnings are more useful than others. But even if we do not see the personal value of some advice or counsel, is that any reason to take offense because it is offered?
The truth is, everyone needs help and advice from time to time. No one has all the answers. With the economic and political uncertainty that surrounds us, everyone needs a solid hope for the future. In a world where almost half the marriages end in divorce, where teenage pregnancy is rampant, and where sexually transmitted diseases are pandemic, there is an urgent need for sober, practical guidance. Parents need help in determining the best way to bring up their children in this confusing system of things. Teenagers need help in sorting out their conflicting emotions and pressures that may seem overwhelming. Everyone needs help in working out practical moral values in a world where dishonesty, immorality, and violence are more and more accepted.
Where can such help be found? By far the best source of advice on living is the Bible, God’s inspired Word. The ancient psalmist wrote: “Your word is a lamp to my foot, and a light to my roadway.” (Psalm 119:105) Those who read and apply God’s Word avoid most of the pitfalls that exist today. That is one reason why Jehovah’s Witnesses spend hundreds of millions of hours each year visiting their neighbors and discussing the Bible with them. Yet, many people do not listen, and some even take offense. Why is this?
Closed Minds—Why?
Well, many people are very sensitive about receiving advice, especially on the subject of religion. Even church members do not always want to listen to the counsel their preachers offer. One British clergyman lamented: “Everybody has his own ideas and they are considered as good as the preacher’s.” Hence, it is not surprising that people do not want to listen to a stranger on their doorstep.
Moreover, although we are living in a skeptical age, many still have solid, emotional ties to their church. As one encyclopedia noted, “religion touches the deepest feelings of countless people.” Such people may not see the need to speak to someone of another religion about the Bible, even when the discussion has to do with finding a solution to their problems.
Others do not want to discuss the Bible because they have seen a lot of hypocrisy and corruption in religion. They are offended that some religious leaders condone immorality, or they are disgusted by the unashamed avarice of many television evangelists. Perhaps they are turned off when a clergyman uses his authority to support one side against another in a political battle. To them, religion seems to cause more problems than it solves.
The problems such ones complain of are real. Religiously speaking, there is a lot of “counterfeit money” in circulation. But surely, to refuse to accept valuable help from the Bible for this reason is as illogical as refusing to accept genuine money because counterfeit banknotes are circulating!
And as mentioned already, all of us do need counsel in this world of difficult choices and dangerous situations. Is there any way to be wisely directed in the matter of accepting advice? Is it unnecessary or even wrong to talk to someone of a different religion about the Bible? Is it possible to be open-minded enough to accept good counsel and yet not be deceived by counterfeit advice? What does the Bible say about this?