What happens if I ignore good advice?

1 Kings 12:8-11, 15-16Rehoboam rejected the advice of the older men and instead asked the opinion of the young men who had grown up with him and were now his advisers. “What is your advice?” he asked them. “How should I answer these people who want me to lighten the burdens imposed by my father?” The young men replied, “This is what you should tell those complainers who want a lighter burden: ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist! Yes, my father laid heavy burdens on you, but I’m going to make them even heavier! My father beat you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions!’” . . . So the king paid no attention to the people . . . When all Israel realized that the king had refused to listen to them, they responded, “Down with the dynasty of David!”

Rehoboam chose the advice of his inexperienced peers over the advice of his wise elders. This led to an irreparable civil war. When we ignore the good advice of wise people, we make a deliberate choice to act foolishly. The results are rarely happy or satisfying, and may even cause irreparable damage.

Proverbs 1:30-33They rejected my advice and paid no attention when I corrected them. Therefore, they must eat the bitter fruit of living their own way. . . . Fools are destroyed by their own complacency. But all who listen to me will live in peace, untroubled by fear of harm.

Ignoring good advice can lead to suffering the natural consequences of the path chosen.

Proverbs 11:14Without wise leadership, a nation falls; there is safety in having many advisers.

Proverbs 13:13People who despise advice are asking for trouble; those who respect a command will succeed.

Acts 27:11The officer in charge of the prisoners listened more to the ship’s captain and the owner than to Paul.

Acts 27:21No one had eaten for a long time. Finally, Paul called the crew together and said, “Men, you should have listened to me in the first place and not left Crete. You would have avoided all this damage and loss.”

Ignoring good advice can lead to even deeper trouble.

2 Chronicles 25:16The king interrupted him and said, “Since when have I made you the king’s counselor? Be quiet now before I have you killed!” So the prophet stopped with this warning: “I know that God has determined to destroy you because you have done this and have refused to accept my counsel.”

Proverbs 13:14The instruction of the wise is like a life-giving fountain; those who accept it avoid the snares of death.

1 Peter 2:8And, “He is the stone that makes people stumble, the rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they do not obey God’s word, and so they meet the fate that was planned for them.

Sometimes, ignoring advice can lead to the heaviest consequence: death.