Have you ever noticed that other people are full of advice for you? You don’t even have to ask them for it; they often volunteer it because “it was just on their mind.” They’ll tell you how much money you should be making and what degree to pursue. They’ll tell you what you should be doing with your life and what they’d do if they were “in your shoes.” If you’re not careful, people will live vicariously through you, using you to accomplish all of their unmet goals and ambitions.
So, here’s my question: if their advice is so great, then why haven’t they benefited from it? The danger in listening to people is that their advice can fail. The Bible says it like this, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death” (Proverbs 14:12, New King James Version). That’s why it’s important to hear from God. Peter heard God’s voice. Better, he listened. Surely other voices were active in his mind, but he put his trust in the One who holds the future.
If you want to be the person God wants you to be, then listen to Him, and Him alone. That means muting the other voices, including your own, that are contrary to what He says. “The Lord directs the steps of the godly” (Psalm 37:23, New Living Translation); make sure you’re doing what He’s called you to do!