Wise Beyond Belief

James 1:5-7
"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. "

Everyday we have decisions. These decisions may affect the way our day goes, our week goes, and even the rest of our life. Our choices can also impact the lives of those around us - both in positive and negative ways. It is important that in every decision we acknowledge God and seek His wisdom (see Proverbs 3). In prior blog entries I've shared that Colossians 4 commands us to walk in wisdom towards them that are without wisdom, while Ephesians 5 states that the wisdom of God is synonomous with the mysteries of the gospel that we are made stewards of in 1 Corinthians 4. Coupling this understanding with James 1:5-7 we can then say that we receive this wisdom by asking for it by faith, in other words believing that we will receive what we ask for, then once we receive wisdom we must walk in that wisdom. If we doubt not we are guaranteed to receive this wisdom. However if we waver, or doubt, we should not expect to receive this wisdom because we did not believe that God would give it to us before we asked.

Faith is the secret ingredient in all things. We see this all throughout the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. In fact, faith is the one thing that God truly requires of us. Faith is what gives us access to grace, which leads to salvation. Faith is what makes the impossible possible and the natural supernatural. Faith is the key to opening every door that is locked in our lives. As the late Smith Wigglesworth once said "Only Believe."

Wisdom is actually a by product of faith. When Solomon asked God for wisdom and discernment, he believed he would receive what he asked for and God showed Solomon favor and granted his request. Wisdom was given to the early apostles as they stood before worldly leaders, persecutors and men of high esteem. They didn't know what to say, but the Holy Spirit granted them wisdom and spoke through them as they opened up their mouth. Elders are often looked at as wise because of their age and experience, but the Holy Spirit that lives inside of each believer holds all wisdom, for we have an unction from the Holy one in which we know all things, so it is possible for the youngest child to be wiser than than the oldest and most experienced adult - all we have to do is tap in to the power of the Holy Spirit and we will be wise beyond our imagination.

I've heard a saying that wisdom is learning from other people's mistakes rather than going through them yourself. And yes, it is a wise thing to avoid A, B and C if you've seen other people do A, B and C and have to endure unwanted consequences. However true wisdom is not in learning from other people's mistakes, it is in learning from the Word of God. The Bible is the wisdom of God and the Holy Spirit is often described in the Old Testament as the Spirit of wisdom. We have no need that man teach us, but that the Spirit teaches us all things, whether through man or through the Bible.

Using wisdom is necessary as a Christian. Wisdom is a gift from God and comes from walking in the Spirit. Wisdom is granted to them that believe. Wisdom grows as we spend time in the written Word and grow in intimacy with the Father through Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Psalms and Proverbs speak of wisdom in almost every chapter. Wisdom is knowing what to say and when to say it. Wisdom is knowing what to do and when to do it. Wisdom is being in tune with God and walking in obedience as He directs your paths and orders your steps.

Let us all walk in the wisdom of God as He supplies His wisdom liberally to us when we ask Him for it in unwavering faith.

Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.
- Proverbs 3:13