Have you ever ignored the advice of a relative or friend, but later followed it when it came from someone unfamiliar?
That has happened to me quite a few times.
At one time, my wife recommended a novel with life principles, but since I prefer non-fiction, I overlooked it.
But then, after hearing someone else talk about it, I strongly considered it.
Being familiar does that.
Maybe because we are aware of their imperfections or don’t see them as an expert, we take their advice for granted.
You may have heard others point this out with the statement “familiarity breeds contempt”.
It’s like when Jesus said, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown” (Luke 4:24 NIV). In the same chapter, Jesus went on to give examples.
One in particular was that “there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian” (Luke 4:27 NIV).
Unlike the Israelites who had leprosy, Naaman, a foreigner, sought out Elisha after learning of him.
This shows that the answers to our prayers might be right in front of us, but familiarity causes us to miss them.
So the next time someone familiar gives you advice that you are led to ignore, remember this lesson.
The Wise Believer, understanding that we tend to take familiar people’s advice for granted, considers it rather than ignoring it.
