Have You Ever Had Anyone Give You Evil Advice?

[Edwin]

Have you ever had anyone give you advice that was not good, that was maybe even sinful, or that was not wise, and that did not turn out well? It is nice to have advice from family and friends, and help making decisions sometimes, but you have to be careful in taking people's advice to make sure that it is in your best interest. Have you ever had an advisor who turned on you, maybe even stabbed you in the back for who knows what reason? Maybe that advisor had his/her own agenda, was self serving, had some thing that person wanted for him/herself, or at least not in your best interest.

This happened in the case of Amnon and Tabar in David's family in the Old Testament. Amnon had a friend who was not really a friend, who was his first first cousin. His name was Jonadab, and he was David's brother's son. The description of Jonadab was the same as the serpent in the Garden of Eden. He was subtle, a conniver, a person who would talk you into things that you shouldn't go along with. He was a person who was on the wrong side of right and wrong.

Jonadab asked Amnon, his friend and cousin, what was wrong with him. Then Amnon confided in Jonadab that he loved Tamar and wanted her. So Jonadab advised Amnon to play sick in order to get Tamar to come to him. Then when Tamar came, and Amnon got her into his bed chamber, he was stronger than she was, so he grabbed her and raped her. That advise had a very bad ending that made David angry, and set Absalom Tabar's brother to plotting Amnon's murder which took place two years later. After the whole thing went bad, and Absalom had killed Amnon, Jonadab told David that Absalom determined to kill Amnon from the day that Amnon had raped his sister Tamar. Jonadab knew that his advice had caused this whole sordid situation, but he made no efforts to protect anyone from evil or harm, but after it was over with and Amnon was dead, then Jonadab told David this is why it happened, just as if he had no part in what took place. Jonadab had caused a lot of grief to David's family, caused them to be in mourning. They all including David, his servants, and his sons wept very sore. David mourned for his son, Amnon every day. Amnon had guilt over this action, but none of them wanted him to be killed. Then Absalom fled and was gone three years after which he returned to cause more grief to David's family, which eventually caused his own murder, and more grief for David. Bad advisers are often trouble makers as well.

[red]

I have had friends or members of clan that was giving me advises. Some of them is not evil but they themselves had bad intentions. They are trying to drag you down. We call it crab mentality and that is common to Filipinos. It springs out of jealousy because other person is doing better than him/ her. So instead of really helping out. They give advises that would actually complicates the problem making you helpless and more problems.

[Edwin]

Crab mentality is an interesting concept. When you are being successful others are jealous, so they do not want you to have success, so they give you advise that will slow your success. That is very sad when one person will not want another person to be successful. This is almost like being envious of another person's success. People will say "I envy you," and what they mean is I wish I had what you have, or I wish I were like you. Or someone will say, "I don't envy you," meaning they would not want to have similar circumstances.

[red]

We know when you put crabs on a bucket they are striving by climbing up the bucket to get out. So when one is high and almost to top of the bucket other crabs would reach the one on high that they dragging down the one thats already on top. Crab mentality is not just common here in Philippjnes but in other countries too.

[Edwin]

I have never been around crabs, so I didn't know about what they do. That does stand to reason that they would do that. It is sad when people have to be that way. It would seem that all people want success and well being for all other people. I do know a story about something like that. My Dad had an uncle that he really liked. It was his mother's family. His mother was a Christian, but some of the others were given to violence. His grandfather, mother's father killed himself, and I don't know that my Dad even knew that because he never told me that, but I found it out from someone else. This favorite uncle of my Dad's also killed himself. Anyway his son, my Dad's cousin, got an education, becoming first a school teacher, then an athletic coach, after which he became a high school principal, and eventually superintendent. After his health deteriorated and he ended up in a wheel chair he wanted to kill himself also, but his wife would not help him with that, so he lived until he died. Anyway they were strong and violent people. His son was a Christian also, and I actually attended Bible College with his son's wife, only that was before they were married, and I didn't know any of those people, only what my Dad told me about them, and also what the wife of this educated one told me. My Dad's uncle and his other son were jealous of this one that was in university climbing the success ladder. They all pulled a gun on him, and theatened to kill him, saying that he thought he was better than all the rest of them, because he was getting an education. You would have thought that they would have been proud of him for that!

[Smiley]

Evil advice? Like that time I got drunk with a Navy recruiter?

[Edwin]

Smiley, if you got drunk with the Navy recruiter, you probably got some evil advice! Funny, huh? Anyway it is nice to have good Christian counselors who will help you know what you want to do, but not so nice when someone enfluences another person for evil, and then often that person suffers because of it.

[crisipicada]

Evil advice? Like that time I got drunk with a Navy recruiter?

Therefore, it is not good to get drunk, Smiley

I do believe that all of us do not want or no intention to give an evil advice. That is why it is important to ask advice that will give you in the right direction.

For those who wanted to ask advice, it is important to listen to those who are godly and who have wisdom from above. As the book of Psalms in chapter 1 reads,

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

2But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

3And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

4The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.

5Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

6For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish

If only we take hid of the word of God , it will always make us success. Sometimes we do not understand but God promise us to be prosperous and have good success, as in Joshua 1: 8 reads,

8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.


Therefore, it is important to take hid of Hid word.

[Smiley]

You are very right there Crisi. If a person tries to give advice the often make the mistake of giving the advice from their own point of view. I think that it is very important to realize this and to always be aware that the other persons point of perspective is likely different from my own. What I mean to say is that I would have to be careful to never give you advice that would not be suited for you.
I hope that this doesn`t sound confusing but advice that may be well-suited for one person may have very negative effects for another. In a situation as complicated as life there are of course,many paths we can take to get to the same place.

I might advise one person to stay in school and another to pursue a trade and yet another to join the military.The advice given HAS to be tailored to the individual, not to what I would do.
A lot of people over the years have asked me what kind of motorcycle they should get. Personally,I like Harleys,as you already know.But the question was not what kind of motorcycle 'I' should get,but what kind 'They' should get. Big difference there.

I hope this makes some kind of sense for you.

[Edwin]

Crisi, the words caught my eye "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly!" That pretty much says blessed is the man that doesn't follow evil advice. Crisi, those are great and wonderful, meaningful scriptures!

Smiley, I have been facinated with Harleys for a long time. I actually dreamed about getting one a few years ago. I actually rode a Harely Sportster for a few blocks, and it was a lot of fun. My Dad owned two Harleys when they were first built. He was born in 1907, and it was when he was in his early twenties that he owned the Harleys. He broke his foot on an accident on one of them, so he quit ridding them, but he kept riding and breaking wild horses, which I think is far more dangerous, but not accornding to his way of thinking!

I understand what you are saying about advice for people to get a motorcycle. I talked with a Honda dealer once who told me if you own a Harley, you had better own a pickup also to haul it because it is going to break down! He thought Hondas ran smoother than Harleys. Well, I still have a Honda 500 CX Deluxe, but it is in disrepair, but I would rather have a Harley anyway! You have good taste, Smiley!