There are two extreme positions someone, especially a leader, can assume with fatal consequences. One is to be impervious to counsel. A Mr. Worldly Wise who listens to nobody is courting disaster. It is the nature of man that he only sees in part. Being open to the input of others is what helps him to get the total picture. The other extreme is to take all counsels. This is a recipe for confusion, if not disaster. If you bring 10 persons together on an issue, you will probably get 10 different views on the same issue. You cannot pursue all the views without running into problems.
God is the ultimate counsellor. Therefore, after you have received all inputs from man, learn to subject them to God’s own perspective.
The book of Proverbs speaks glowingly of the place of counsel. It ties counsel to safety. “Where there is no counsel, the people fall; But in the multitude of counselors there is safety.” Proverbs 11:14 NKJV. It also ties counsel to establishment. “Without counsel, plans go awry, But in the multitude of counselors they are established.” Proverbs 15:22 NKJV. However, not all counsels are to be considered actionable. In our text, the people advised Joshua not to let all men of war go to Ai, presuming it would be a walkover. Joshua suffered his first career defeat on that occasion. The problem was not in the counsel, it was in not cross checking with God if it was okay. God is the ultimate counsellor. Therefore, after you have received all inputs from man, learn to subject them to God’s own perspective.
