WISDOM - Where do I find it?

Where to find Wisdom ....

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 1:5 

The Lord gives me His wisdom when I ask. As He goes on to say in this passage, that I am to ask believing that He will give it. Then I believe what He says - I don’t compare it with other people’s advice, then decide which one I will take. That approach is what the Bible calls double-minded. The double-minded person can't expect to receive God's wisdom. He doesn't value God's perspective, His viewpoint, or His knowledge. He gives more weight to his own opinion or the opinion of other people than God's word.

In James 1, God says:
But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

We find wisdom through our relationship with the Lord.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;

all who follow his precepts have good understanding.

Psalm 111:10

Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom;

And to depart from evil is understanding. Job 28:28

It’s impossible to have wisdom without a fear of the Lord. 

To fear God is: 

• to reverence Him, 
• to have a sense of awe before Him, and 
• to humble ourselves before Him in all things; 
• to understand that He is the final authority, the ultimate source knowledge and wisdom.

This fear is not being afraid that God is going to zap me when I mess up. God doesn't want us to be afraid of him. He wants us to know how much He loves us and wants the very best for us. Part of our fear of God is believing that He does want the very best for me. When I seek Him and His wisdom, I learn what His best is. Then I follow His lead because I trust Him. 

If you lack knowledge, go to school. If you lack wisdom, get on your knees! Knowledge is not wisdom. Wisdom is the proper use of knowledge. Vance Havner

For more on wisdom:

Wisdom: What is it?

Wisdom: What does it look like?

Wisdom in Marriage

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!