Baby Steps with Christ

How God Changed the Way I Give Advice to Others

• Leigh Trupin

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Are you giving advice without including God—and could it be leading someone in the wrong direction? 

In this episode of Baby Steps with Christ, host Leigh Trupin shares a powerful personal lesson about Christian advice, spiritual guidance, and why we should seek God before offering advice to others. Through personal experiences involving her daughter, her own spiritual struggles, and conversations with people searching for answers, Leigh explains why giving advice without including God can lead people in the wrong direction, even when our intentions are good.

If you’ve ever struggled with knowing how to give godly advice, wondered how to hear God’s voice before making decisions, or found yourself relying more on people than on God, this episode is for you. Leigh discusses the importance of seeking God first, praying before offering advice, and learning how to point people toward a personal relationship with God instead of becoming their source for answers.

This episode encourages listeners to become more intentional about both giving and receiving advice and explains why only God can truly heal, guide, and transform someone’s life. You’ll also learn how suffering, hardship, and difficult circumstances can strengthen your relationship with God and teach lessons that people cannot.

If you’ve ever wondered:

  • How do I know if I’m giving godly advice?
  •  Why should Christians pray before giving advice?
  •  How do I stop depending on people instead of God?

This episode offers a practical perspective on Christian advice, spiritual discernment, and seeking God first before offering guidance to someone else. Leigh shares how God taught her the importance of directing people to Him rather than becoming dependent on other people's opinions and guidance.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

  • The Danger of Giving Advice Without Seeking God First
  •  Why Good Intentions Can Still Lead Someone in the Wrong Direction
  •  How God Used Leigh’s Spiritual Struggles to Strengthen Her Faith
  •  Why Christians Should Point People to God Instead of Themselves
  •  How to Pray Before Giving Advice to Others
  •  Why Depending on God Brings Clarity Instead of Confusion

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👉🔗 How God Changed the Way I Give Advice to Others 

Welcome to another episode of Baby Steps with Christ. I'm your host, Leigh Trupin. This is a place where we take small intentional steps in developing a relationship with God without religious pressure, where we learn we have direct access to God and can go straight to the source.

In my last episode, I spoke about how my daughter wanted to move back to New York and how she asked the opinions of many and listened to those opinions over what God was saying to her. And because she didn't understand how God was speaking to her, eventually it caused some big consequences for her.

And today I want to speak on the flip side of that. What should you do if someone asks for your opinion and advice? In most cases, that seems innocent enough. Someone asks for your opinion and advice and you give it. But I want to suggest something to you. Include God in what you say.

Because on the surface, it may seem like no big deal to just offer your opinion or advice. But in reality, you don't know how God is working in anyone's life. And while your opinion and advice may seem harmless to you, it could be the complete opposite for someone else.

When I began my journey with God and my life was out of control, I did exactly what my daughter did. I went to people and asked for their advice and help. And because I was led wrong, I ended up hating God and calling out to a devil I had no idea existed and becoming possessed.

Now I know this was an extreme case, but this is how God worked in my life to get my attention focused on Him rather than on people. I'm not suggesting that anyone's consequences will be this extreme. But people giving advice who have a relationship with God have an obligation to ask him before offering advice.

For example, when my daughter asked for my advice about whether or not she should move to New York, I gave it to her. But I also advised her to pray about it and to see what God is saying to her. But I took it a step further. I prayed that my advice would line up with what God wants for her.

And if you've read my book, Dear New Believer Love God, you know that the one person I ran to the most when I was going through my turmoil was a very good friend of mine. Because I hadn't developed my relationship with God yet, she was the one I went to constantly for help. And her heart was in a good place. She saw how out of control I was, and she wanted to be the one to help me.

But the way she helped me led me down a very dark path. And I know with all my heart this was never her intention. But she had no idea how God was working in my life, and she never included him in the advice that she gave me. And things got bad, the worst it had ever been for me.

And if you haven't read my book, I suggest you grab a copy to read my full story. But the good that came out of the terrible situation is that now anytime someone asks her for her advice, she always prays about it first. And she leads people to God over her advice.

And I do the same, especially being in ministry. Just last night, someone who was extremely angry with God asked for my advice. And I'm in ministry to help people in a way that I wasn't helped, but I'm very careful. I told this person I understand exactly what she's going through. She's angry with God and blames him for her life being out of control. She hates him and doesn't understand why her life is falling apart now that she's following him.

Who can understand that better than I can? When she reached out to me, the first thing I did was ask if she had a relationship with God. And she told me that she does, but she can't understand why he's allowing her so much pain and suffering. She's falling into the same trap I did. She's reaching out to those who know God and who she feels can help her rather than reaching out directly to God Himself.

I was empathetic with her. I told her I understand exactly what she's going through, and I shared with her some of the ways God used suffering in my life to help me grow. And she said, Are you serious? How can you accept the way God has taught you? And I understand how she feels.

Most of us, including myself, would not intentionally put our kids through so much pain. In fact, most of us would do everything in our power as parents to shield our kids from pain. But we're not God. We as humans can't possibly understand why God would allow so much pain and suffering, especially while we're going through it.

I didn't understand why God kept me in such turmoil for as long as He did. But when I came out of that turmoil, I came out of it with a great relationship with Him and an unbelievable desire to help people in a way that I wasn't helped. And what I learned and how I grew from that experience is something no one but God could have taught me.

So believe it or not, I'm grateful for the experience and I wouldn't change how he taught me. What I would change instead is how I behaved. It was my behavior that led me to my turmoil, not God. So I shared my story with this person and I explained to her how it changed me and my entire life for the better.

I also advised her to ask God to reveal to her why she needs to experience the pain and suffering. What is it that he's trying to teach her from it? I further told her I'll be here for her as long as she needs someone to speak to, but I can't heal her. That's not my job. That's God's job.

So I told her I'll always advise her to reach out to him first. See, you can be there for someone. You can offer your opinion, advice, experiences. But don't ever try to do what only God can. Always include him in the advice you offer and always direct people to become dependent on him and not on you.

Your intentions may be pure, but it's not your job to heal anyone. That's God's job. Be mindful not to take God's place in someone else's life. It can feel good to be the person someone comes to for answers, but we were never meant to be the source. We were meant to point people to the source.

So next time someone comes to you for advice, pause for a minute. Talk to God first. Ask him to guide you. Ask him what he wants you to say, or even if you should say anything at all. Because one sentence from you without God can lead someone in the wrong direction. But one sentence led by God can change everything.

So include God in what you say or don't say. And if you're on the other side of this, if you're the one searching for advice, go to God first. Don't replace Him with people, no matter how well intentioned they are. They can't do for you what only God can.

I hope this helps you look at offering advice a little differently. Or taking advice a little differently. If you've enjoyed this episode, please share it with someone you feel needs to hear it. And be sure to grab your free guide to today's episode and like and follow me wherever you listen. Keep taking those baby steps in developing your relationship with God. Thanks for listening. Until next time.

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