8 Pieces of the Best Advice I Ever Received

Years ago, Reader’s Digest included a cover article entitled, “The Best Advice I Ever Got.” Among that advice are such words as, “Learn how to nap,” and “Your actions speak so loudly I can’t hear what you’re saying.”¹ Reading that article made me wonder about the same question in my life, and I was reminded of some of these pieces of advice over the years:

1. “You have to choose to take this commitment seriously.” The speaker was a deacon at my home church, and the occasion was my questioning before the church licensed me to preach. They had licensed others who didn’t last in ministry, and he didn’t want me to fail. Forty-one years later, I still remember that advice. 
2. “Read biographies.” I’ve since seen that you can learn all kinds of truths and life lessons by listening to the stories of men and women who’ve already walked this path. History is filled with stories of leadership wisdom—learning from both victories and failures. 
3. “Remember that God’s will is always present tense.” I knew what God wanted Pam and me to do, but I was worried about what that decision might require from us in the future. It was my friend’s advice that convinced me to move ahead with God’s plan. 
4. “Start saving for retirement now.” I was twenty years old, and in no way was I thinking about retirement. But, an older denominational leader wisely directed me toward the future. Many years later, I’m really grateful I listened to him. 
5. “Slow down, and do your homework.” I was ready to move my church in a new direction, and my deacon friend realized better than I that the church was not ready yet. I’m sure his advice saved me from some headaches, and I often hear his words today when I’m considering change. 
6. “Trust what you teach us.” The man who spoke to me could not have verbalized, “Preach the gospel to yourself,” but that’s what he was saying. I was struggling with forgiving myself for wrong, and he pointed me back to my own words from the pulpit. 
7. “You need to have a happier face.” I had just finished a practice sermon in a seminary preaching class, and a classmate tasked with critiquing me told me my face wasn’t very happy. To this day I always ask whether I’m engaging and inviting in the pulpit.  
8. Pay attention to both a “push” and a “pull” when thinking about leaving a ministry. When both are not apparent, God may still be dislodging you from a place — but the time to make the move has not yet come. I wish I’d heard this simple advice much earlier in my ministry. 

What about you? What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?  

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¹“The Best Advice I Ever Got,” Reader’s Digest(July-Aug., 2018): 51-63.