Self-counsel. It will get you into trouble every time. Left to ourselves, we can rationalize just about anything…even sin. Here are some examples of self-counsel that did not end well.

• Running from Saul and exhausted, “David thought to himself, “One of these days I will be destroyed by the hand of Saul. The best thing I can do is to escape to the land of the Philistines” (1 Samuel 27:1 NIV). Don’t do it, David! Joining forces with the enemy is not a good idea. To make a long story short, the whole episode ended with David’s men almost stoning him to death.
• In the turmoil following Solomon’s death, Jeroboam, contending for leadership, thought to himself, “The kingdom will now likely revert to the house of David.” To keep this from happening, he built golden calves for the people to worship instead of the living God. Not a good idea. (See 1 Kings 12:25-33 NIV).
• Haman, whose plan was to eliminate the Jews, thought he was going to receive high honor from the king. He thought to himself, “Who is there that the king would rather honor than me?” But in the end, Haman was “honored” with a hanging. (See Esther 6 NIV).
• Jesus told a parable about a rich fool who had more crops than barns. So, “the man thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’” He solved the problem by building bigger barns, but God had other plans for the man. “You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?” (See Luke 12 NIV).

Self-counsel. I bet each of us could add a story or two to the list. The Proverbs say it this way.

Proverbs 15:22
Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed.

Don’t make plans based on self-counsel alone. Find others who love God and love you, and allow them to speak into your life.

Father, may we be wise enough to learn from the mistakes of others without making the mistakes of others our own. Lord, may we be wise enough to learn from past mistakes and not repeat them.
In Jesus’ name.
Amen.