Sirach 32:17-24: a reflection

17A sinful man shuns reproof, and will find a judgment according to his will. 18A sensible person won’t neglect a thought. An insolent and proud man won’t crouch in fear, even after he has done a thing by himself without counsel. 19Do nothing without counsel, but when you have acted, don’t regret it. 20Don’t go in a way of conflict. Don’t stumble in stony places. 21Don’t be overconfident on a smooth road. 22Beware of your own children. 23In every work guard your own soul, for this is the keeping of the commandments. 24He who believes the law gives heed to the commandment. He who trusts in the Lord will suffer no loss.

This passage from Sirach gives practical counsel for a wise life, and among its sayings is one about how we make our decisions: Do nothing without counsel, but when you have acted, do not regret it. And it adds, in every work guard your own soul. The wise person does not plunge ahead on his own judgment alone, but seeks counsel before acting, and guards his soul in all he does.

Notice the counsel: do nothing without counsel. This is not a call to endless indecision, but to humility about our own judgment. We are prone to act on our own thinking alone, confident we see clearly, without seeking the wisdom of others; but our own judgment is limited, and can be mistaken. The wise seek counsel before they act, drawing on the wisdom of others, aware that they do not see everything on their own.

That is a wisdom worth practicing. We often make decisions on our own, trusting our own judgment, reluctant to seek advice, whether from pride, or impatience, or overconfidence. But this passage, echoed throughout Scripture, commends seeking counsel: in an abundance of counselors there is safety. Before you make significant decisions, seek wise counsel, rather than plunging ahead on your own judgment alone. Do not be too proud or too hasty to ask for advice; your own judgment is limited, and the wisdom of others can save you from mistakes you cannot see. Seek counsel before you act, and guard your soul in all you do; the humble who seek wisdom from others act more wisely than the confident who trust only themselves.

Lord, this passage counsels me to do nothing without counsel, and to guard my soul in every work; the wise do not plunge ahead on their own judgment alone, but seek counsel before acting. Give me that wisdom. I am prone to act on my own thinking alone, confident I see clearly, without seeking the wisdom of others, whether from pride, or impatience, or overconfidence. But my own judgment is limited, and can be mistaken; and your word says that in an abundance of counselors there is safety. Before I make significant decisions, help me seek wise counsel, rather than plunging ahead on my own judgment alone. Keep me from being too proud or too hasty to ask for advice; my own judgment is limited, and the wisdom of others can save me from mistakes I cannot see. Help me seek counsel before I act, and guard my soul in all I do. Make me humble enough to seek wisdom from others, rather than trusting only myself. And help me trust in you, who keep from loss those who trust in you.