May 5

Job’s Friends

You gave me life and showed me kindness, and in your providence watched over my spirit.  ––Job 10:12

I’ve read the Book of Job a few times and at first, I didn’t get why Job’s friends get such a bad rap. I mean, they seemed to care about their friend; they sat silently with Job for seven days, mourning along with him all that he’d lost (children, possessions, wealth). But then the advice started coming, and can be summed up this way: “Obviously, Job, you committed some pretty major sin and that’s why you are being punished by God.”

Hmm. So, let’s dig into that. Does God punish us when we sin? As believers in Christ, man of God, the answer is no. Not because you and I aren’t immune to sin or worthy candidates for God’s retribution, but because of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. He atoned—covered, made amends—for our sins, and thus shields us from God’s wrath. Of course, sins have consequences. You rob a bank and get caught, you go to jail. That’s not God’s punishment, it’s the criminal justice system doing its job.

We all have some “Job’s friends” in our lives: well-meaning folks who just flat-out give wrong-headed or misdirected advice. The friend who suggests that cheating “a little” on your taxes is okay because the government is corrupt and “everyone else is doing it.” Or the person who tells us that our grandma is our guardian angel, watching over us. (Angels are not deceased relatives—they are separate creatures altogether.)

We can smile, count to 5 (or 10, if necessary) when we get bad advice, and then respond calmly. No need to kill a flea with a sledgehammer just because someone is ignorant of the Word or completely unaware of your circumstances. They mean well (usually, even though sometimes people are just mean—but that’s a topic for another day).

Bad advice is everywhere. You don’t have to look too hard to find it. Sometimes God puts people in our lives who give nothing but bad advice, but He’s placed them there for a reason. Maybe He wants to use us to help that person, perhaps by modeling godly advice to them.

Man of God, don’t throw away friendships over bad advice. Unless that person is just bad news (toxic or abusive, or otherwise an unhealthy person to have in your life), God may want you to stick with them. You never know how the Holy Spirit may want to use you in someone else’s life.

Lord, help me be patient with those who give me well-meaning—but bad—advice. Allow Your Holy Spirit to open and close the doors on my friendships, rather than me doing it in my own flesh.