Walking with the Wise #443: The Power of Friends

“A wise man is full of strength,
and a man of knowledge enhances his might,
for by wise guidance you can wage your war,
and in abundance of counselors there is victory.”
—Proverbs 24:5-6
 

Pastor Warren Wiersbe refers to his books as his “friends” and indeed they are. To read a book is to enter into a conversation of mind whereby we learn the thoughts and machinations of others. A wise man is made strong because he has considered the opinions of others and used them to formulate his own thoughts. Or as the proverb puts it, “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm”—Proverbs 13:20.

It is in the “abundance of counselors” that we find victory. Each great man is in some way a student of history. Anyone who wants to hone and master his craft seeks to understand the thoughts of those who have gone before them. The great Christian scholar Jerome tells us that Cyprian of Carthage did not allow a day to pass without saying to his amanuensis, “damihi magistrum,” which is Latin for “Give me the master!” He was referring to the great church historian Tertullian who was known for his originality, profundity, clarity, logic, and forcefulness of thought.[1]  Cyprian understood that he needed to read the thoughts of others to clarify and sharpen his own understanding.

We cannot be laws unto ourselves; instead, we must seek the wisdom of others—both living and dead—so that we can grow in godly reasoning and understanding, engage the battles that take place in the mind, and find victory. The Bible is to be our first and primary place where we seek wisdom. But we supplement that with all kinds of books, especially biography and church history. And we are not relegated to only Christian authors either. Oswald Chambers, in speaking to a very depressed man, once asked him what he read. He responded, “The Bible.” Chambers asked, “Anything else?” And the man retorted, “Nothing.” Chambers observed, “Then that’s your problem.”

All truth is God’s truth, whether the person who uttered it is an atheist or a firmly committed believer. Our responsibility is to study God’s Word, and then read other materials in a discerning manner and decide from a biblical perspective whether what we read is true and helpful to live our life and help others.

What about you? In your life, do you seek the counsel of others? Do you read about what others think? We may not agree with everything we read, but by reading, by studying, and by seeking the counsel of others, we sharpen our minds, deepen our understanding, and are able to live and help others more effectively for God’s glory and our joy. Amen.

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[1]Alexander Smellie, “Introduction” (1898), The Religious Affections, p. 14.