They say you are the sum of the three people you spend the most time with. If you surround yourself with people who are unhappy, unmotivated, or deceitful, you will eventually become that way. But if you surround yourself with people who are better at some things than you are, you will become a better person. Do you have the kind of friends who make you better? A team of friends who are godly and upright? Friends who can turn into great advisors—who can help hold you accountable in your decisions and actions? This post talks about the wisdom in surrounding yourself with a group of people who can hold you accountable for your actions and help you make wise decisions.
"Who’s in Your 'Cabinet'" by Focus on the Family (contributed by Rich Bennett)
Leaders of organizations have a team around them. Executives. Trusted advisers. A group of experts in a variety of areas whom the leader can rely on.
Similarly, since the inception of the
What if each of us formed our own personal cabinet – a group of advisers assembled to provide counsel on an array of important life topics? If you weren't sure whether to buy or lease your next car, you’d call your Secretary of the Treasury. If you weren't sure whether to take a new job, you’d call a session with your Secretary of Labor.
Your “cabinet” is likely not that formal, but I hope you have a few wise individuals you can turn to when you need wise counsel. I have one friend who serves as my Treasury Secretary. When I have a question on personal finance, I know I can bounce what I’m thinking off of him to either validate what I’m doing, or offer better options.
Hopefully, your advisers include one or two high-caliber technology geeks. I call these my co-Secretaries of Education, educating me in an area where I know just enough to be dangerous.
When I need to tackle a parenting challenge, I have a couple of trusted, godly dads who serve as my Secretaries of Homeland Security.
I consider my wife my Chief of Staff – the person I consult with on virtually all decisions of significant consequence.
God speaks into our lives a number of ways. Certainly, He speaks to us through prayer; by reading and meditating on His word; and through His Holy Spirit, which guides us daily once we release our lives to Him. But God also places fellow believers into our lives to speak wisdom to us when we need it most. “Where there is no counsel, the people fall; but in the multitude of counselors there is safety.” (Proverbs 11:14, NKJV)
I’m thankful that God has placed wise people in my life who can complement the gifts He’s given me. Have you ever stopped to think about who’s in your cabinet? Do you have a “multitude of counselors” you can turn to? Do you have any cabinet positions that could use filling in your life? Pray that God would bring the right people into your life.
Read
Proverbs 18:24
Pray
Lord, put people in my life who will be my cabinet. Show me who is wiser, who can counsel me, and who can help me be accountable for my actions.
Reflect
Do I surround myself with people who help me or people who harm me?
Respond
Start forming your cabinet—a group of men of different ages who can help you, guide you, and hold you accountable.
The people you surround yourself with are important; they can help you live with integrity in all areas of your life. Combining your “cabinet” with your resolve to do all things with integrity is the way you can have a life that is good, upright, and pleasing to the Lord. Integrity pleases God because when you live with righteousness, you’re living in alignment with His will for you. In the next post, find out how you can set your standards and use your resolve to help keep you living a life of integrity.
