Small Group World

08.18.10

Small Group Hairs Worth Splitting III... Advice Giving vs. Mining for Wisdom

Advice Giving and Mining for Wisdom are not even close to being the same thing. When someone in a small group asks for help in making a decision, be certain group leaders know the difference.

Advice Giving happens when someone asks for counsel…

and a group member gives their opinion concerning what the asker should do
and a group member voices a cliché to give guidance
and a group member tells them what someone once told them to do in the same situation
then tells the group what they think they are going to do but no one speaks. The silence infers that the person has made the right decision.

Mining for Wisdom happens when someone asks for counsel…

and a group member suggests the group spend time searching God's Word to help the asker find out what is the right thing to do
and group members quote passages of Scripture relating to their situation
and no specific direction is found in Scripture so the group agrees to pray with the asker asking God to give guidance to the asker
and someone who has already lived through the same situation tells them how God guided them to the right decision and what the outcome of doing what He requested was
then tells the group what they think they are going to do but the group suggests the group join them in spending time in God's Word as well as prayer so that the person does what is right and good in God's eyes.

It is important that group leaders know the difference between advice giving and mining for wisdom because when a group mines for wisdom…

group members learn to use their Bible's to understand and deal with everyday life experiences
group members begin to realize that God's advice is the only perfect advice
group members begin to realize that God's Word speaks to almost every situation someone finds themselves in
group members embrace prayer on behalf of one another
group members begin to hold to the fact that prayer is both talking and listening
a group moves closer to being a community when the group members seek God on behalf of someone else in the group