Who is Your Expert?

That awkward moment. I was sitting in the pedicure chair reading a fashion magazine. Under the Do's and Don'ts section, the first DON'T the Fashion Expert said was, "Never, unless you are heading to or from the gym, never wear black yoga pants, a fleece jacket and white cross trainers in public."  I glanced down over my outfit. Other than the white cross trainers, that was exactly what I was wearing. The cross trainers, which I wasn't exactly wearing, were sitting in the floor next to me, as I had my toe nails painted.  Oh, the awkward moment.

That awkward moment. I was at a speaking seminar and the Marketing Expert was sharing the Do's and Don'ts of marketing your blog.  The first Don't, the Marketing Expert said, "Never pose in a photo with you hand beside your face. We don't want to see your knuckle." I cringed as I thought of my blog photo, the photo I used for all my publicity.  This is the photo. 

Oh the awkward moment!

Reading what the experts say, and getting it wrong can be, well, awkward!  But I had a light bulb moment the other day.  I receive several emails from writing experts, to help me work on my craft. I received an email that said, "Say 'no' often. If you said yes too much, you will become overwhelmed and if you don't meet deadlines you will ruin your reputation in the industry."  Sounded reasonable to me.

But then I received an email from another "expert."  His email said, "Say yes more than you think you should. This will challenge you to work harder and do more. You won't know what you're capable of if you don't push yourself."

Both comments from the so-called experts seemed legit, but they were in complete opposition to one another. Which one was correct?  I guess the one that works best for you.

There are plenty of experts out there in every field, all doling out advice at record pace. The thing is, however, while their ideas may be good, the aren't the gospel. Just read health magazines. One expert extols the virtues of a juice fast, while the next extols the dangers! What works for some, doesn't work for all. 

The only place I've found that has the correct advice all the time is, in fact, the Gospel, that is the good news of Jesus Christ.  The Bible.  Packed with the "Do's and Don'ts of Life," it shares consistently accurate information. Yes, there are some awkward moments when I realize I've been living in contradiction to God's will, but he is a forgiving God! And his lessons won't go out of style. They haven't in over 2,000 years. Can you say that for your skinny jeans? Or your marketing plan?

While I may not look my best in my yoga pants, I do feel pretty good in them. So I keep wearing them to the grocery or the salon. Because while it's fun to get advice from the experts, they don't know everything. The only Expert who does is Jesus. And His plan says not to worry about what we wear or how we look. It's what is inside that counts. 

Where are you getting your "expert" advice?

Kelly Combs is a Christian wife, mom, writer and speaker. You can learn about Kelly by visiting her website at www.kellycombs.com