All
of us at one time or another have to face difficult situations in
life. Somehow we reach a cross-road of events and circumstances where
we are called to make a decision.
In
1962, then U.S. President John F. Kennedy faced a crucial problem of
his Presidency. The problem was what to do when Premier Nikita
Khrushchev of the Soviet Union who had delivered nuclear missiles to
Cuba which could be a launching pad for a nuclear attack to the U.S.
main land. The world held its breath as the US and the Soviet Union
stood at the brink of nuclear war. President Kennedy demanded the
immediate removal of the missiles. Consequently tensions were at an
all-time high.
President
Kennedy then phoned three former US presidents to get their advice,
namely: Herbert Hoover who had faced the economic problems of the
Great Depression in the 1930’s; Harry S. Truman who had ended
World War II; and 5-Star Gen. Dwight Eisenhower who had served as
Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, and who when he was yet a colonel
in the U.S. Army had served as Aid-de-Camp of 5-Star Gen. Douglas
MacArthur in the Philippines. Each former President had valuable
insights to share. Thereafter, President Kennedy conferred with all
of his White House Consultants-Advisers, and a balanced course of
action defused the crisis. Consequently, a Third World War was
averted.
The
crisis facing us may not be as crucial as the one that faced
President Kennedy, but whether big or small, it is always advisable
to consult the experts, the reputable personalities, depending on the
magnitude of the problem and what is the problem about.. The final
consultant, however, is God. Through the Bible, we ask ourselves:
what does the Scriptures say? Hence, the absolute necessity of
knowing the Scriptures, since we can no longer talk to God or Jesus
Christ personally.
The
Wise King Solomon said: “Where
there is no counsel, the people fall; but in the multitude of
counselors there is safety
(Prov. 11:14).” The word translated “counsel” is a Hebrew
nautical term used for steering a ship. The wisdom of godly
consultants can help steer us in the right direction. We should at
all times seek the advice of counselors who are perceived as wise and
are godly.
A
truly wise person is open to the counsel and insight of others,
especially to those God-fearing ones.
Once
in the past when I was a young practitioner of the law profession, my
former boss, Atty. Leopoldo M. Abellera, then a respected and well
known practitioner in Davao City; a classmate of the late President
Ferdinand E. Marcos in the College of Law of the University of the
Philippines, having been appointed as a Government Corporate Counsel
then, and later as Justice of the Court of Appeals and concurrently a
Board of Transportation Chairman (BOT) which was in charge of land,
air and sea transportation businesses of the Republic of the
Philippines, asked me to join him in the government. It was a very
attractive offer in terms of “extra income”, and influence, so to
speak bluntly, with a high possibility and chance for me to be
appointed to a high government position suitable to my qualification
while President Marcos was in power, but after consulting my own
father whom I perceived to be a godly father, some well-meaning
friends and relatives (as I was not then “born again”), I merely
relied on my common sense, I politely declined the generous offer.
Instead, I decided to continue engaging in my private practice.
Looking in retrospect, especially after President Marcos was deposed,
I do not regret my decision. I am where I am now in my law practice
because I consulted others who are godly and have decided rightly.
Thus,
when we face any crisis, it is a must that we seek the advice of
God-fearing counselors for our guidance. Ultimately to be assured of
sound decisions, we should not only seek godly human counselors, but
Our God through prayers and His Divine Guidance.
No comments:
Post a Comment