AUGUST 2013 Letter LIVING WELL

We pray for wisdom. We ask you to pray for wisdom for us. 

• But what does wisdom even mean? 
• Where do you look to gain wisdom? 
• How do you know when you have found wisdom? 

We desperately need wisdom everyday. Your prayers for us become vital streams, pouring God’s wisdom into our minds and our spirits. James 1:5 prompts us, “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” Consider these questions with us: 

• How do we respond when a young couple comes to us for premarital preparation and they have lots of background issues that will complicate their marriage?
• What do we say when a couple on the edge of divorce inquires “Can we save our marriage? How do we save our marriage?”
• How do we give guidance to a couple who is deeply in debt and sees no way out?
• What do we teach children in Africa who live in a culture rampant with theft and dishonesty?
• How do we prepare people who have never left our country to go to minister in a place where children have never had electricity, running water, or cars?
• Where will we get funds to keep Wisdom Community School open?

We desperately need wisdom everyday. Please continue to pray for wisdom for us; your prayers are vital to us.

We are involved with Wisdom Community School in Zambia. We conducted Camp Wisdom this summer; our theme was wisdom. We are teaching the book of Job this summer in our Bible study class; the key verse centers on wisdom.

We continue to learn about wisdom. We know that wisdom comes from God and combines knowledge, understanding, and experience. Please go to our previous post on this site to learn more about wisdom. To learn more about wisdom in marriage, go to our marriage blog. Other posts will include "Wisdom using Money."

You can be an important part of our work. To learn:

• How you can support the ministry
• How you can utilize our services
• How you can be involved in our international missions
• How you can pray for Wisdom Community School

We thank God for those of you who already support and pray for the ministry. We could not continue this ministry without you! We love and appreciate you and your support of what God is doing! 

Our love in Christ,

Donna and Ed Edwards

P.S. Mark your calendars for Tuesday, October 22nd, to celebrate 10 years of Living Well with us!

WISDOM - What is it?

Most of us would love to have wisdom. I would. We pray for wisdom continually. We pray for wisdom in our marriage, how to deal with our children, what we should do about our job, and on and on.

I wonder if I really know what wisdom is. Would I recognize wisdom if I heard it? How would I know? If I had a word of wisdom from God, would I believe it, would I act on it? 

Wisdom can be illusive. I hear a perspective that sounds good but is it wise? I hear some advice that I like, but is it wise? I see a course of action that looks right but is it wise?

What it means ....

Wisdom is the means by which the godly can both discern and carry out the will of God. Douglas Moo

Wisdom is looking at life from God’s point of view. Chuck Swindoll

The dictionary on wisdom: knowledge of what is right or true coupled with just judgment as to action.

A person can be very knowledgeable about finances and skilled at making money, but does that mean he has wisdom handling money?

What about a person who is an excellent communicator, knows the statistical realities of marriage and divorce, does that mean he has wisdom in his marriage?

According to a worldly definition of wisdom, those questions could both be answered as true.

Knowledge and understanding are prerequisites to wisdom. A person can’t have wisdom about a topic if there is no knowledge. He can’t show wisdom if he doesn't understand the dynamics of how the knowledge works together in real life.

When we get to the part about “just judgment,” the definition can take on a different meaning. What is "just" to one person may not be "just" at all to another person.

Truth and justice that apply to all people at all times only comes from God - they don't change with the culture or the year.

A person who has a lot of knowledge of economics and financial systems might be able to make a lot of money. If he doesn't use God’s truth with what he knows, his application and action may not show wisdom at all. If he applies his own morality to the situation instead of God’s will, the outcome will not honor the Lord and His creation.

To read about what it looks like and where to find wisdom, stayed tuned for our next posts!