Advice is not the same as Micro-managing. “Timely” is advice given at the right time, in the right place, and in the right way giving consideration to the recipient of that advice (What is their learning style? Their communication style? How much emotional capital is invested?). This advice that is not only “beautiful,” but also valuable.
Timely advice can be seen as the process of asking insightful questions, the answers to which will yield clarity:
- What does the questioner really want?
- How do they understand the problem?
- Do they have a grasp of their options? What are those?
- Do the alternatives have the same weight of importance?
- If an ethical issue, what are the legal boundaries first, the moral imperatives and where is Truth (God’s view of the issue)?
- How do the ethical standards of holiness, justice and love shape your advice?
Proverbs 25:11 (NLT) Timely advice is as lovely as golden apples in a silver basket.
At the end of the day, a Believer’s advice must be a perfect mixture of grace and truth. If a gracious heart rules your mind, then your advice will be both timely and worth its weight in gold.
Is your advice “as lovely as golden apples in a silver basket?”
Copyright ©2009 by P. Griffith Lindell
What a great thought! I'm thinking of all of the times that I have been the giver as well as the recipienct of "ill-timed advice". I think that every young leader (including myself) should learn this lesson and gain effectiveness and influence.
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