WANTED: WISDOM!!

“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”

James 1:5, ESV

If there’s one scripture that I have worn out my whole adult life—it’s James 1:5. I’ve often found myself at the crossroads of indecision, unknowns, and lack of direction. It’s not that I didn’t have my own opinion or sound reasoning. It’s that I wanted God’s direction, so I didn’t waste time going down a rabbit hole of wrong turns.

Seeking wisdom from God wasn’t some kind of magic causing everything to work out as I planned. Rather, it was expressing the complete and utter dependence I had on Him for raising my children, working through a marriage and divorce, new job opportunities, and major purchases for my family.

It’s different from asking God for knowledge as wisdom is the ‘how-to?’ for life. How do I approach a difficult conversation? How do I know if this the right time for a life change? How do I engage in ministry in the empty nester season?

Every single time I’ve asked God for wisdom, He has shown me the way to move or directed me into a better place. Unfortunately, I’ve had many occasions where I’ve stormed through a situation forgetting to ask for wisdom and things didn’t always end well.

Yet this promise from God comes with a condition: that I must ask in faith. Aaaah…there it is again the ‘faith’ word. This means that I ask believing that God has heard my prayer and provides the  wisdom in what I ask even if I don’t see it in the moment.

What’s the Point?

When you ask Him for wisdom, you are taking that step of faith in your decision. Sometimes God says move forward, wait, or He shows something that you may have missed. Either way—there’s an action following this prayer of faith in God. Wisdom needs to be evident by your act of faith in God.