Cheap Advice

Jesus said, "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye."1

In a Peanuts cartoon Lucy is playing her role as psychiatrist. She sits in her booth with the sign that reads: "Psychiatric Help—5 cents." The sign below says, "The Doctor Is In." Lucy says to Charlie Brown, "Your life is like a house."
In the next frame, she says reflectively, "You want your house to have a solid foundation, don't you?" Charlie Brown has a kind of blank look on his face. Lucy says, "Of course you do."
Charlie Brown is still silent—saying nothing. Then in the fourth frame, psychiatrist Lucy says, "So don't build your house on the sand, Charlie Brown." About that time, a huge wind comes up and blows the booth down. Lucy, sitting in the rubble says, "Or use cheap nails."2

Sad to say, too many of us are too quick to give cheap advice to others and forget, as the old saying goes, that when we point a finger at others, there are four fingers pointing back at us. People who are quick to give unsolicited advice are, generally speaking, very insecure and gain a sense of false security by having a ready answer for everyone else's problems—except their own.
So "my advice" is: "Don't be an unsolicited advice giver!"

Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me not to be a judgmental person, nor be quick to find fault with others, or be an unsolicited advice giver, but rather, help me to see my own character flaws and lead me to the help I need to overcome these. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

1. Matthew 7:3-5 (NIV)

2. Brett Blair, http://www.esermons.com/

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