How to Get Wisdom
“But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” (James 1:5 ESV)
Everyone knows that Scripture contains wisdom, so by knowing the Word of God and growing in holiness, we will gradually acquire more wisdom. But how do you get specific wisdom for day to day decisions?
One day I was having trouble with one of my sons taking forever on his math. I went to my room and got on my knees and asked God what to do to get my son to do his math more quickly. I was quiet. I opened my heart to God.
The answer was this: Spend time bonding with him.
What on earth does that have to do with math? It doesn't even make sense. But I went ahead and did it. We were lying down chatting about life together. I felt like I hadn't connected to him in a long time, and I hadn't even noticed. I was glad for the conversation.
The next morning he finished his math quicker than he ever had before. And he continued being diligent for weeks. Go figure. Ask God for wisdom, and it works. My son must have needed time to talk and be understood, so that he wouldn't feel disconnected or lonely.
Another time, one of my children was whining and complaining first thing in the morning. Instead of getting mad, I went to God to ask for wisdom. I was quiet. I opened my heart.
The answer was this: Put him to bed.
That didn't make sense because our family wasn't doing very much at that time. We had no outside activities, and the kids hadn't gone to bed late. But I went ahead and obeyed. I put my child to bed. Ten minutes later I went to check on him, and he was snoring. Only God knew that he was tired.
Many times I have asked God for wisdom when I am counseling someone, and God has miraculously given me the right words when I need them. Pat answers don't help people. Fresh insight from God does.
Isn't this fun? God knows everything, and His Spirit is in us. We have access to wisdom at any time. God promises that if we ask for wisdom, He will give it to us. God is not a liar. So just be quiet and wait for the answer, because it will come.
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