How to avoid shipwreck (2)

“The officer in charge…listened…to the ship’s captain.”

Ac 27:11 NLT

Here are two more pointers on how to avoid shipwreck: (1) Don’t take advice from the wrong people, even the so-called “experts.” The Bible says, “But the officer in charge… listened more to the ship’s captain and the owner than to Paul.” Chances are, the ship’s owner was an expert in business and its captain an expert in maritime matters. Nevertheless, both men were incapable of hearing the voice of God. Bottom line: Be discerning about who you allow to speak into your life. Just because someone’s successful in a secular field doesn’t mean they’re qualified to give you spiritual guidance. “Honor those who are your leaders in the Lord’s work…and give you spiritual guidance. Show them great respect and wholehearted love because of their work” (1Th 5:12-13 NLT). Where should you go when you need spiritual guidance? To leaders in God’s work who have proven themselves worthy of your love and respect. (2) Remember that sometimes the majority gets it wrong. “Most of the crew wanted to go on to Phoenix” (Ac 27:12 NLT). The fact is the majority can be wrong! Remember what happened when Moses started to lead the children of Israel to the Promised Land? The majority wanted to return to Egypt. But they were wrong—dead wrong—and they perished in the wilderness. We can get ourselves into a real mess by following prevailing opinion and the most popular ideas. Listen for God’s voice and you’ll always go in the right direction. “He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way” (Ps 25:9 NIV).

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