People have problems. And I’m not talking about the cute, “Oops I forgot my keys” kind. I mean the heavy, soul-shaking kind—the why am I still stuck, why can’t I fix this, why does everything feel off kind. You’ve felt it. I have too. We’re talking anger, anxiety, depression, loneliness, and a thousand unanswered questions that scream through the noise of life.

 

How do I raise these kids without ruining them?

How do I love my spouse when we feel like roommates?

How do I even find someone to marry in the first place?

How do I fix myself, my city, my school, my world?

 

And when those questions start bubbling up, what do we do? We research. We dig. We listen. We search. We devour podcasts, binge YouTube experts, hit up the AI “counselors,” scroll through posts tagged #wisdom, and add yet another book to the ever-growing “This Will Finally Fix Me” pile on our nightstand. Somewhere deep down, we believe that if we just find the right person with the right words, we’ll finally make it through the fog.

 

But what if I told you the answer isn’t on that podcast? What if I told you the wisdom you need doesn’t come from the latest Q&A session, best-selling book, or most liked reel? What if I told you that the answer—the actual, living, breathing, life-giving answer—is already inside of you? Yeah, that’s right. Inside. If you’re in Christ, the most brilliant mind in the universe—the one who invented the very neurons in your brain—lives in you.

 

1 John 2:27: “The anointing that you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you.”

 

Let that sit. “No need that anyone should teach you.”

 

Hold up—no need for teachers? For conferences? For think tanks and experts and influencers?

 

Let me be clear: God absolutely uses people to teach. Spirit-filled, Christ-centered teachers are a gift. I’m not saying ditch your pastor or burn your books. But here’s the catch: they’re not the source. They’re not the vine. They’re the branch. The flashlight—not the sun.

 

Somewhere along the way, we’ve gotten it twisted. We’ve leaned on human “wisdom” like it’s our lifeline while ignoring the infinite wisdom living inside us. We’ve built a culture that idolizes human voices. We binge TED Talks, scroll X for life hacks, and quote influencers like they’re scripture. Sure, some of that’s helpful, even wise. But it pales next to the One who spoke the stars into being. And, we’re not better off for it. In fact, we might be worse off. Despite all our “research” we haven’t yet found the magical lifehacks that dispel all things negative from our lives. We’re more depressed, anxious, and unhealthy than ever.[1]  If human wisdom was the answer, we’d be thriving. Instead, we’re drowning.

 

I thought about this while wrestling with why so many young men struggle to pursue marriage. I started imagining conferences and panel discussions, stacks of books on “how to pursue.” There’s really no shortage of advice out there. You’ve got traditional takes, modern spins, some leaning hard on Scripture, others treating it like a loose suggestion. But here’s the problem: the advice contradicts itself. One book says be bold; another says play it cool. One podcast pushes old-school chivalry; another screams it’s outdated. And let’s be real—every person’s different. There’s no one-size-fits-all manual for pursuit, or for parenting, or our anxiety, or any of life’s other big questions. So who are you gonna trust?

 

That’s when it hit me: We don’t need more formulas. We need more abiding.

 

1 John 2:27 ends with this: “But as His anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in Him.”

 

That’s the key. Abide in Him. Because we’ve all seen it where a man pursues a woman, well until…he’s finally able to sleep with her…or more nobly until they get married and are locked into a forever commitment. Yet when a man is abiding in Christ, his pursuit of a woman is shaped by the love of Christ. He’s not chasing to consume—he’s chasing to cherish. And if he marries her, he won’t stop pursuing her, even when the kids are wild and the dishes are stacked like Jenga and sleep is just a myth they once believed in.

 

Why? Because he’s not running on his own wisdom. Or the wisdom of other men. He’s living in constant partnership with the pursuer of his soul.

 

And this doesn’t just apply to dating. Parenting, careers, conflict resolution, political tension, mental health—it all bends under the weight of His presence. You can read every parenting manual on earth and still yell at your kid. You can study every communication strategy and still blow up at your spouse. What we need isn’t just better strategies. We need divine guidance in the moment—and that comes from the One inside us.

 

The same goes with society’s messes. We think we’ll fix the world with more research, more policies, or some new philosophical trend.But the disciples—uneducated, status-less fishermen—turned the world upside down because they took seriously that God was in them (Acts 4:13). They didn’t lean on human wisdom; they leaned on the Spirit. And they changed history. Imagine what we could do if we did the same—bringing every question, every issue, to the One who’s with us always.

 

Because if you’re in Christ, you have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16). The Holy Spirit, the Great Counselor Himself, resides in you, ready to teach you all things (John 14:26). This isn’t some secondary source—He’s the Alpha and Omega, the One through whom the cosmos was created, whose every word is true (Proverbs 30:5).

 

I have to wonder with all this, are we grieving the Holy Spirit by running to human voices first? Ask yourself this question: When you hit a wall, who do you go to first? That wise mentor? That favorite preacher? Your counselor? Your best friend? Or do you go to Him? When we prioritize podcasts over communication with God, influencers over intimacy with the Lord, are we putting idols in His place? Even if we’re using solid Christian ones? When we elevate human counsel above divine presence, even unintentionally, I believe we grieve the Spirit who was given to guide us into all truth. We start trusting the created over the Creator.

 

We have to remember that Christ paid a steep price to unite with us, to live in us, to be our constant Counselor (John 16:7). His presence isn’t a part-time perk—it’s a game-changer, offering wisdom, love, and authority for every moment. John wrote 1 John 2:27 in a time of heresies, reminding believers they had the Spirit to discern truth from lies. Today, more than ever before, we’re bombarded with noise—endless advice telling us how to live. But the Spirit’s still in us, ready to sift truth, guide, and lead us into lives that display Christ’s glory.

 

That’s where abiding in Christ takes center stage. Because as long as we stay with Him, we’ll be shepherded into truth. Truth that changes and brings abundant life (John 10:10). That’s where we must stay connected through constant communion, constant conversation (1 Thessalonias 5:17). So bring everything to Him: your depression, your anxiety, your parenting struggles, your pursuit of love, your questions about society’s chaos. Talk to Him about it first. Even before you Google or grab a book, ask Holy Spirit for wisdom. He promises to give it generously (James 1:5). Then listen to His word, test it against Scripture, and let it guide your decisions. Hone your ear to His voice (John 10:27) and trust His nudges. For the Spirit teaches “all things” (John 14:26). 

 

Abiding isn’t a one-off; it’s a lifestyle. The more you lean on Christ, the more His wisdom shapes you. You’ll parent with more grace, pursue with more love, tackle problems with more peace. You’ll be healthier, joy-filled, and effective—not because you cracked the code, but because you’re walking with the One who wrote it.

 

When we live this way, we don’t just solve problems—we become displayers of Christ’s glory. Like the disciples, we show the world His “other-thanness,” His greatness, His love. We become ambassadors who don’t just talk about Jesus but live Him out (2 Corinthians 5:20). A man who pursues a woman with Christ’s guidance doesn’t just win her heart—he reflects Christ’s relentless love. A parent who seeks the Spirit’s wisdom doesn’t just raise good kids—they model God’s heart. A society that leans on divine wisdom doesn’t just fix issues—it shines with eternal hope.

 

So today, don’t run to the world first. Don’t even run to the wisest human you know. Run to Him. Abide. Listen. Be taught by God. And watch how everything changes.

 

 

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[1] Read the article entitled “A Different Dream: Escaping the American Illusion” on this website for actual statistics.