I recently encountered an intriguing piece of advice. Here it is:

I owe my success to having listened respectfully to the very best advice, and then going away and doing the exact opposite.

This insight is attributed to Bob Brown, and easily ranks as some of the funniest, dangerous, and seemingly anti-biblical counsel I have ever encountered. It is funny because I thought I was the only one who thought this way! When I first saw these words in print, I burst out laughing and said to no one in particular “Egad! My secret is out! LOL. Mr. Brown’s statement has certainly been true in my experience. So many of the decisions that I have made that have resulted in favorable outcomes was precisely because I ignored what other people (most of them quite smart, successful, and saved) suggested that I do. But it is dangerous because it seems as if Mr, Brown is endorsing stubborness, and offering a license to disregard the counsel of others with ample justification . Many of us already do that quite well, and need no additional encouragement in that regard. Finally, it appears to be anti-biblical, because throughout the scriptures we are regularly admonished not to rely on own ideas and instincts, and to solicit counsel. One of my favorite scriptures is Proverbs 11:14, which says “Where no counsel is, the people fall: But in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.” Of these three concerns, the last is most worrisome, because we must always surrender any truth that contradicts the truth of scriptures. So let me dispatch this matter straightaway—because I think both Proverbs and 11:4 and Mr. Brown’s statement are both true.

After much consideration, I now understand Proverbs 11;14 in a new way, an understanding that helped me to see that it does not contradict Mr. Brown’s counsel. To solicit a multitude of counsel does not mean that you ignore your own instincts or ideas. In fact, I believe that your own counsel should be included in the multitude of counsel that you seek. To solicit a multitude of counsel does not mean that you check your judgement, experience, or insight at the door. And to solicit a multitude of counsel does not mean that you uncritically accept the counsel that you receive. All counsel must be weighed. And often, the counsel that we receive from others doesn’t weigh that much. The truth is, the counsel you give yourself might be safest counsel in the whole multitude!

Consider the experience of blind Bartimaeus in Mark 9: 46-52 as a support for this contention. Here is how the Message Bible describes what happened:

They spent some time in Jericho. As Jesus was leaving town, trailed by his disciples and a parade of people, a blind beggar by the name of Bartimaeus, son of Timaeus, was sitting alongside the road. When he heard that Jesus the Nazarene was passing by, he began to cry out, “Son of David, Jesus! Mercy, have mercy on me!” Many tried to hush him up, but he yelled all the louder, “Son of David! Mercy, have mercy on me!”

Had Bartimaeus listened to the counsel he received, he would have missed a miracle. But the scriptures said he did the precisely opposite:

Jesus stopped in his tracks. “Call him over.”They called him. “It’s your lucky day! Get up! He’s calling you to come!” Throwing off his coat, he was on his feet at once and came to Jesus. Jesus said, “What can I do for you?” The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”“On your way,” said Jesus. “Your faith has saved and healed you.” In that very instant he recovered his sight and followed Jesus down the road.

Bartimaeus ignored the advice he received, and experienced a miracle.

Question: how many miracles have you missed taking other people’s advice?

Consider also the experience of Fred Smith as further support. In 1965 while attending Yale University, Mr. Smith wrote a paper about how goods were transported across the United States. He had an idea: what if items could be shipped overnight? Smith’s professor ridiculed the concept. He received a “C” on the paper, and was told that his idea would never work. However, Mr. Smith ignored the counsel, and a few years later, started a company called FedEx. Last year, FedEx generated $84 billion in revenue.

Mr. Smith ignored the advice he received, and built a wildly successful corporation.

Question: how many opportunities have you missed taking other people’s advice?

Sometimes, your idea is the best idea.

Sometimes, the people who you seek counsel from about an idea or a course of action (their success and friendship notwithstanding), simply do not have your passion, creativity, or vision, and their advice is birthed from envy, misunderstanding, or fear.

And sometimes, the best thing you can do after you have solicited and evaluated other people’s advice is to go exactly in the OPPOSITE direction!