Don't Tell Me What To Do

Don't Tell Me What To Do
August 14, 2014
www.kurtscobie.com/worship

I don't know where to begin with this post. I'm probably going to piss some people off. I'll do my best to communicate with love, but this is a touchy subject.

We seem to have this attitude in our culture that increasingly encourages people to be independent. Which, when put like that, may not seem like such a bad thing. Independence is good, right? Self-driven, self-motivated, self-sustaining... sounds like something to aspire to, right? Well, I suppose. However, there is another attitude that has snuck in there.

Let me ask you, do you have a few close friends whom you trust to tell you the truth in love? Do you listen to them if they suggest you do something you don't want to do (that you probably SHOULD do)?

"Because, I can" and "It's my life, I'll do what I want" aren't great reasons to do what you do. Yet, I see so many choosing this way. And then I see them follow through, on their own, and land in a pile of... pain. And this usually happens more than once. Some people live their entire lives like this.

How sad.

How sad when you see someone you love do things like this.

I have made some pretty poor decisions in my life, I must say. The pain and consequences of those decisions have been quite big. If I had only submitted myself to trusted friends, I could have avoided a LOT of devastation. A lot of hurt.

I can tell you with complete confidence that making decisions as a lone ranger will not get you your desired outcome in life. You may be smart. You may be strong. You may be a lot of good things all alone. But, we are ALL better off when we submit to one another. When we trust one another.

Though I work as an "independent" (or "indie") artist, my world functions much better when I am interdependent.

I need people. I need my trusted inner-circle to tackle me before walking off a cliff. I need my honest accountability partners to shout at me before turning the wrong way down a one-way street. I need to learn from wise mentors who have gone before me, so that I do not repeat the same mistakes they have made.

No one was designed to live as an island. You were made for community. It is a lot more work, sometimes. Yet, so much richer. So much better.

If you are making decisions (especially big ones) independent of others, I urge you to find those trusted friends to help you. Get a mentor who is older and more experienced than you. Go see a counselor who is wise and LISTEN to what they have to say. Lay down your pride. Stop for a moment and consider if the path you're on is getting you to where you want to go. Don't do life so independently.

What area of your life do you need to open up to a trusted friend and allow them to speak into?

"Where there is no counsel, the people fall; But in the multitude of counselors there is safety." Proverbs 11:14 NKJV