Don't Go It Alone

It was supposed to be the ultimate luxury party.

In 2017, entrepreneur Billy McFarland announced an exclusive music festival in the Bahamas—complete with celebrity chefs, high-end villas, and private jets. Influencers promoted it to millions online, and tickets sold for thousands of dollars.

But behind the scenes… something was off.

Experienced event pros warned it would take a full year and $50 million to pull off.

The logistics chief begged for essentials like toilets, clean water, and power.

So what did Billy do?

Welcome to Daily Devotions for Busy Lives. I’m Bart Leger, and I’ve been a pastor for over 40 years. I’ve seen what happens when people press forward without listening to wise counsel—and I’ve made that mistake myself. In today’s episode, we’re going to talk about why you don’t have to go it alone, and how listening just might save your future.

What did Billy do? Instead of heeding the advice…

Billy McFarland fired the experts, ignored the warnings, and pushed ahead—with only six weeks to go.

When guests arrived, they didn’t find a luxury paradise.

They found soaked FEMA tents, no plumbing, no infrastructure—and a sad cheese sandwich in a Styrofoam container.

The Fyre Festival was canceled on day one.

Lawsuits piled up.

And McFarland ended up in prison—serving six years for fraud.

All of it could have been avoided…

if he’d just listened.

SCRIPTURE – Proverbs 15:22 (NLT):

“Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many advisers bring success.”

That verse is simple, but man is it true.

“Plans go wrong for lack of advice.”

Billy McFarland didn’t fail because he lacked ambition—he failed because he wouldn’t listen.

And if we’re honest, we’ve all been tempted to do the same.

Sometimes we ignore wisdom because we don’t want to wait.

Sometimes we think we know better.

Or we fear that listening to someone else makes us look weak.

But Proverbs reminds us that success isn’t about going solo. It’s about surrounding ourselves with godly, trustworthy voices.

Back in the 1400s, a theologian named Thomas à Kempis put it this way:

“Who is so wise as to have perfect knowledge of all things? Therefore, trust not too much to your own opinion, but be ready also to hear the opinions of others… you shall the more profit thereby.”

It’s not weakness to ask for advice—it’s wisdom.

So the next time you’re about to make a decision, big or small, pause and ask:

“Who do I need to talk to?”

“Who’s walked this road before me?”

“Who sees what I might be missing?”

You don’t have to figure it all out alone.

God has placed people around you for a reason.

So here’s your next step:

Before you act—ask.

Before you decide—listen.

And before you dismiss someone’s input—pray about it.

Because wise plans aren’t made in isolation.

They’re forged in community—with the help of people who love you enough to speak the truth.

“God, help me quiet the noise in my own head long enough to hear wise counsel. Surround me with people who love You and want the best for me. And give me the humility to listen and learn—even when I think I already know. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

If this devotion spoke to you, chances are someone in your life needs to hear it too.

Share this episode today—and help someone else avoid a mistake they don’t have to make. You can send them to dailydevotionsforbusylives.com/33. I’ll also have the link in the show notes.

Thanks for joining me today on Daily Devotions for Busy Lives. Remember—wise decisions don’t happen in isolation. Come next time for more encouragement to help you live grounded in God’s truth. See you in the next episode. Until then, God bless, and have a great day!