Who do you think of upon hearing the words "wise counsel"? Your three best friends? Your Bible study? Your mentor? For me, it is a handful of young women at Baylor that I probably don't even deserve to have in my life.
A wise counsel is typically a few people that you go to when times get hard. You seek out their opinions and advice because you trust their judgement. You don't have to hide your brokenness from them. Vulnerability and transparency are not only normal, but expected. They help to hold you accountable to your convictions and point you back to Truth. They encourage you consistently but are also not afraid to call you out on your crap. They pray both for and with you. They are more than your friends, they are the good kind of backseat drivers—the ones that keep you from getting into a wreck.
Proverbs 12:15 says, "The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice." Therefore, if you are convinced that you can make life-changing decisions on your own, you are probably wrong. Take advantage of the lessons your people learned the hard way, so you don't have to.
The key is to choose your wise counsel, well, wisely. You have to recognize wisdom to be wise yourself. These people should not be your 'Friday night friends' or people you only have a surface-level relationship with. They don't necessarily have to be one unified group, but they should know you deeply and have your best intentions at heart. Having a ton of close friends is wonderful, but if you try and listen to everyone's advice, you'll end up more conflicted than when you first asked for it.
As cliche as it is, good things come to those who wait. These people that you can pour your heart out to are beyond worth waiting for. Don't settle. They will cry with you, rejoice with you, and pick you up when you can't pick yourself up. I didn't even realize what I was missing until I found them. So take heart, your counsel will come with time if you seek it purely and prayerfully.
My freshman year of college, my right now, and my tomorrows would be a lot less sunshine-filled without my wise counsel. You guys know who you are, and if you're reading this, I am eternally grateful for you.
