There is a learned skill for how to advise. Have you ever been in a situation where advice is necessary and the advice you gave was not well accepted and even frowned upon? The first thing to take into consideration is whether or not the advice is solicited or is unsolicited. If it's unsolicited, you will be giving advice that will fall on deaf ears. The Bible has a verse that is very descriptive regarding this. In Matthew 7:6 Jesus says..."don’t cast your pearls before swine.” Be sensitive to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, realizing your advice is not wanted or will not be accepted. Why waste the time? Second, try to discern the truth of a request for advice. Is the advice really to seek an answer, or is it to help the other person deflect from the real problem? Advice is a noun which means guidance or recommendation offered with regards for future action. It denotes counsel, instruction and enlightenment. It is to help others think through problems and challenges, and hopefully make a decision that is right and to the glory of God. Too many times solicited advice is not what the person was truly looking for. They in fact, are trying to appease their own conscience or defend a position of their own. They are often looking for sympathy or rescue. They want to avoid the natural consequence of bad or unwise behavior. Many times when you give counsel, the advice is not taken because they did not share all of the facts and left out some very important data. Your advice makes no sense. Be careful of opinions, especially forming negative opinions of others they have presented. Always know both sides of the story. Pray to God for wisdom and speak the truth in love. Love will tell them what they need to hear before it tells them what they want to hear. Third, remember we are all sinners and are able to make mistakes. Be kind and be compassionate, but also be honest. One successful strategy to use when giving advice is, "I know how you feel. Under similar circumstances, I would feel the same way, but I found out ..... Romans 8:28." Point them to God and His book the Bible, only in it will you find real and lasting truth.