The Ballestero Blog

Oops, You Just Asked The Wrong Person!

Case #1

“Hey Larry, it’s me again, Dave. I hate to call you a second time in two hours, but you gave such good advice the first time and I need help again! This a real emergency this time, (but don’t tell anybody I called!)

I’m calling you again because that fishing hole you told me about was awesome! We’d nearly caught our limit after only fishing about 40 minutes. So I know I can trust you to give good advice. You wouldn’t steer me wrong.

“But while we were pulling them in, I got this call from the Chief ordering the Bomb Squad to handle a ‘situation” at the High School. Since I am the squad leader on the team, it’s my job to defuse the bomb they found in the principal’s office.

“I need you to give me some advice. What I need to know is do I cut the red wire or the blue? It’s very important. If I cut the wrong wire, it will blow up. The timer says I have 2 minutes and 14 seconds left.

“I’m embarrassed to ask anyone in the Department. They would fire me for not knowing.

“I know I can trust you. OK, red, or blue? A lot of lives are depending on this!”

Case #2

“Tom, I’m in Surgery right now. And I’ve run into an issue here. We’ve been in OR for 3 hours already and I’ve got patient with a tumor behind their left eye. I think it might be malignant. It’s attached itself to the back of the eyeball.

“You’re my brother-in-law and my best friend. A lot is on the line here. I don’t want the patient to lose their sight. I sure don’t want to be sued for malpractice, am well aware of Xarelto lawsuit news.

“Do you know offhand, should I try to remove the tumor, or just leave it and opt for radiation?

“Also… the horizontal limb of the intraparietal sulcus begins from the junction of the lower and connects with the middle third of the postventral sulcus and curves backward parallel to the longitudinal fissure, midway between it and the parietal eminence. Do you know if that is normal?

Some nurses and a couple of doctors are watching here. I got to do something quick. Whatever you say, I’ll do it.”

Case #3

“Betty, I’m glad you came. I’m trying to make chicken and sausage gumbo for supper, and I need help making the roux. I’ve somehow lost my mother’s recipe and no one else seems to know.

“Also, I would like to make a Crème Brule for desert. Can you help me?”

“I’m sorry ma’am,” says a little voice, “I’m just selling Girl Scout Cookies door to door. Besides, I’m only eight years old and mama doesn’t let me cook yet.

“Would you like to buy some cookies? They’re really good!”

†††

As ridiculous as cases 1-3 seem, they are actually too common among some church members. What is sad, is that we know better, yet we do it anyway.

There seems to be a mindset that rejects asking the pastor’s advice. Instead, in a quest for answers and solutions about things that have direct bearing on our soul’s future, we turn from the Godly advice of our man of God and ask our carnal friends. Even worse, we ask our sinner friends.

Oh, they were our best friends for a long time in the world. As a friend, they always gave good practical advice. So we feel safe asking them about spiritual things even though the friend is not in church.

Have good people forgotten that in the Bible, even Kings, well especially the God-fearing Kings, asked the Prophets for advice.

No Prophet ever went to battle with a sword that I recall offhand.  Yet King after King asked the man of God for his advice about going to war. He wanted the man of God to pray and find God’s will.

The King felt safer including God in his plans. We should too.

God has a problem when His people ask sinners and other carnal people for advice, especially if it includes spiritual things. After all, we are no longer our own, but His. We are bought with a price.

The Scriptures still means what they say.

Psa. 1:1 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.

Psa. 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

1 Corinthians 3:19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.