When life falls apart, who do you turn to?  The most obvious choice is Jesus!  It’s also healthy to seek counsel from others… but who you turn to, and how you go about doing that is extremely important.

It might be tempting to dump a lengthy social media rant, but is that really helpful (or wise)?  Absolutely not!  Not only are you risking more emotional hurt, but you’re also offering personal information that could be used against you.  Think of it this way: If you wouldn’t share your deepest emotions with that shady looking guy in aisle 5 at the grocery store, then why would you open yourself up on social media for the world to see?  This is why it’s so important to have a friend or two that can meet with you face to face to offer wisdom from a biblical perspective.

Proverbs 12:26 says, “The righteous choose their friends carefully.”  Not everyone who claims to be a Christian offers healthy advise.  Some have been misguided in the past and therefore will lead you down the path of folly.

So, how do we choose our friends wisely?  Start by taking a look at their life.  Does their life reflect the heart of God?  Jesus says in John 13:34-35, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”  But what should a godly love look like in a Christian?  The Apostle Paul answers this in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 where he says, “Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

Do your most trusted Christian friends embody these characteristics?  If not, then you’ll need to find godly counsel elsewhere – either from another believer, or a trusted pastor or mentor, or maybe even a professional counselor.  Again, it’s good to open up – we need that!  But it’s also wise to carefully choose who we open up to.