Wisdom // James 1:5

God wants you to have the necessary wisdom to make the decisions you want and/or need to make. I think most of us would prefer God just come and tells us what to do, but that’s not the Lord’s style. God would rather you wrestle with the options and make a choice, even if that means the decision is different from what God would prefer. Why? Because even when we make mistakes, it gives us the opportunity to learn important life lessons.

So what is wisdom? I personally define it as the proper application of knowledge. I commonly describe it as knowing that a tomato is a fruit, but knowing not to put it in a fruit salad. There is something else I have learned about wisdom that cannot be ignored: it is understanding the world through the lens of eternal truth and godly values. Culture always wants to invert this — it aims to have you judge the past based on present values. That will almost always get you into trouble because of how we grow, learn, and mature. God’s truth and values do not change, though. So how are we best to bridge that gap?

Ask God for help. As today’s verse states, God generously gives wisdom to those who ask for it. God isn’t going to fault you for asking; quite the contrary! Seek God’s truth and values when you have a dilemma, conflict, or question. Request God’s direction so you can get in God’s will and go God’s way. We all lack and God longs to give. So let’s ask and graciously receive that which God wants to give.

Photo Credit You Version Bible App