Read:
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
~James 1:5Do you want to be counted wise, to build a reputation for wisdom? Here’s what you do: Live well, live wisely, live humbly. It’s the way you live, not the way you talk, that counts. Mean-spirited ambition isn’t wisdom. Boasting that you are wise isn’t wisdom. Twisting the truth to make yourselves sound wise isn’t wisdom. It’s the furthest thing from wisdom – it’s animal cunning, devilish conniving. Whenever you’re trying to look better than others or get the better of others, things fall apart and everyone ends up at the others’ throats. Real wisdom, God’s wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced. You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor.
~ James 3: 13-18For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
~Proverbs 2:6Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding, for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and her profit better than gold. She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.
~Proverbs 3:13-18
Consider:
In our world today, everyone’s got an opinion.
If you have a question or a problem or are in a season of life that brings big decisions or life change, everyone you know will be lining up to give you their 2 cents on the matter. Maybe for you, it’s a co-worker going on about their life experiences, most likely at least a family member or two will be inserting their take on your life and it’s happenings but if that’s not enough for you, I can almost guarantee that 25 or more of your Facebook friends would be glad to chime in on the matter as well. So, my friend, you are covered. There really is no shortage of people in the world who think they know what’s best for you.
The problem with the willingness of the world around you to so kindly share their “so-called” wisdom is that it’s a very different kind of wisdom than that which comes from our Heavenly Father. Only He truly knows what is best for each of us.
Let me challenge you with this statement today, “Let prayer be your first response, not your last resort.” You’ve probably heard the saying before and while this may be easier said than done, I can tell you first hand, it will change your life and every decision you make from this day forward.
We all want to be wise. We want to make wise choices in our lives and for our families and with our career choices etc. The list goes on and on. If there isn’t a clear Biblical choice on a matter, decision-making can be really, really, really hard. We all tend to try and at least stick to the 10 commandments, but the easy stuff is the stuff that’s clear. We know that we need to love our neighbors and to be tellers of the truth and to refrain from harming another human (okay, maybe it’s not always easy, but those choices are made pretty clear for us). It’s the stuff that isn’t clear that leave us all very much in need of God’s wisdom!
If you’re a parent, you know the kinds of things I’m talking about. The second that tiny human is placed into your arms you are suddenly faced with a million choices–none of which are in a handbook! It starts small…“Do I let this child sleep on me or do I only lay it down to sleep?” As they grow, the weight of these questions becomes heavier on our spirits. We face questions every day like, do we send our kids to public school or private school or should we homeschool. A million questions just like this one never, ever seem to end in the life of a parent. However, there is good news: we have a God that has all of the unique, wild, crazy and perfect answers for each and every one of us if we chose to seek guidance from Him.
Maybe you’re not a parent but you have a career in which you have to make a lot of decisions for your company. Maybe you lead a team and there are challenges you face that are difficult. Maybe no one else seems to understand how the weight of these responsibilities affects you every day. The good news is true for you too! God has all of the answers and He also provides peace and rest when you seek Him for the wisdom you are so desperately in need of.
When we read scriptures like the ones in James and Proverbs listed above, we should instantly feel just a little bit better about whatever it is we are facing in our lives.
Maybe you read this blog post today looking for some answers. I’m here to tell you, I personally don’t have any for you, but I have experienced wisdom from Him enough to tell you He does (and sometimes you may not get the answers you were looking for.)
Spend more time today in the Word than you do hearing from the world.
Pray more today asking God to give you wisdom than you do seeking advice from the Internet or people in your life.
There’s nothing wrong with seeking out wisdom or advice from someone you trust that loves you and loves the Lord, however, there’s nothing like receiving Godly wisdom from the only one who is able to provide you with the answers that only He is able to give.
Pray:
God, thank you for the Bible. Thank you for all of the clear instruction you have provided for us. I pray that I would seek your wisdom on the stuff that isn’t clear and I pray that you would provide me with a peace that can only come from you during times of big decisions and daily discretion. I love you, Lord. Thank you for loving me first. Amen
Today’s post was written by Amanda Sanders.
Amanda has been married to her high school sweetheart Matt for 12 years. Together they have three kids ages 9, 7 and 4. In this season of life, Amanda spends most of her time drinking coffee, teaching children, doing laundry and repeating herself. Occasionally, she has some time for working out, reading for leisure and writing. You can find her on Sunday mornings worshiping at our Real Life Kaley campus.
