Following the advice of the ungodly is a very bad idea and can bring ruin, sin, corruption, and a loss of peace to your life.
Look at Judah’s King Joash’s life. He started out doing right in the Lord’s sight (2 Chr 24:1-2) as he followed godly counsel. But after his godly adviser died, he listened to wicked counselors, and it destroyed his relationship with God:
2 Throughout the time of the priest Jehoiada, Joash did what was right in the Lord’s sight … 17 However, after Jehoiada died, the rulers of Judah came and paid homage to the king. Then the king listened to them, 18 and they abandoned the temple of the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and served the Asherah poles and the idols. So there was wrath against Judah and Jerusalem for this guilt of theirs. 19 Nevertheless, He sent them prophets to bring them back to the Lord; they admonished them, but the people would not listen. 20 The Spirit of God took control of Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood above the people and said to them, “This is what God says, ‘Why are you transgressing the Lord’s commands and you do not prosper? Because you have abandoned the Lord, He has abandoned you.’” 21 But they conspired against him and stoned him at the king’s command in the courtyard of the Lord’s temple. (2 Chr 24:2, 17-18)
The ungodly counselor influenced Joash to turn to false gods and idols, abandon the Temple and God (2 Chr 24:18), break God’s commands (2 Chr 24:20), and close his ears to God and the prophets (2 Chr 24:19). Look at the consequences of Joash following the counsel of the wicked:
So there was wrath against Judah and Jerusalem for this guilt of theirs … 20 The Spirit of God enveloped Zechariah … and said to them, “This is what God says, ‘Why are you transgressing the Lord’s commands so that you do not prosper? Because you have abandoned the Lord, he has abandoned you.’” … 23 At the end of the year the army of the Syrians came up against Joash. They … destroyed all the princes of the people from among the people and sent all their spoil to the king of Damascus. 24 Though the army of the Syrians had come with few men, the Lord delivered into their hand a very great army, because Judah had forsaken the Lord, the God of their fathers. Thus they executed judgment on Joash … leaving him severely wounded, his servants conspired against him … and killed him on his bed. (2 Chr 24:1-25)
The difference in Joash was like night and day depending on his counselors. He and the kingdom thrived when he followed godly counsel, but when he followed the advice of the ungodly, he and the kingdom suffered and became wicked. Joash went from listening to a prophet of God and thriving to turning from God and killing the next prophet of God. Following ungodly advice changed Joash, ruined his relationship with God, and led to the kingdom suffering military defeat, being plundered, the death of the royals, and Joash’s eventual assassination.
Learn from Joash’s life story. Don’t live by the advice of the unsaved or ungodly. It will only lead to problems in your life. Instead follow the advice of the godly and test it against God’s Word.
The thoughts of the righteous are just, but guidance from the wicked leads to deceit. (Pv 12:5)
1 How happy is the man who does not follow the advice of the wicked or take the path of sinners or join a group of mockers! … For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to ruin. (Ps 1:1, 6)
Think about it
Can you expect good and godly counsel from ungodly people?
Name some of the results in Joash’s spiritual life for turning from godly to wicked counsel.
How did Joash’s life and the nation under him change because of his choices?
Do you think you, your spouse, and your family will be affected by your choice to follow ungodly advice?
What can listening to the advice of the ungodly lead to? Have you, or anybody you’ve known, followed the advice of the ungodly and it ended badly?
Who are your trusted advisors? Are they believers who closely follow the Lord?
Do you carefully compare their counsel to God’s Word and pray about it to make sure it is godly counsel?
BIBLE DEVOTIONS FOR LIVING 