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 does it look like?

What it looks like ....

After 40 years of marriage, I usually know my husband's thoughts, his choices, his ways. If he isn't around and I am looking for something he put away, I ask myself "Where would Ed put that?" I don't look where I would put it but where he would put it. Because I know him intimately, I know how he thinks. I know his values. I know what his actions would be in a particular situation.

Wisdom is knowing God so intimately that we know what He thinks about our situation. 

I need "God thoughts." The Bible said that we can know His mind and His thoughts. It says that we have the mind of Christ. 

Wisdom means that I know God’s heart on a subject or a situation.

I can only know His heart if I know His character. I know His character through what He has revealed to me through His Word.

Wisdom is when we can see life in the same way that God sees life - with an eternal perspective. 

To be able to see the eternal perspective, I have to want that perspective more than I want to focus on my circumstances right now, right here on earth.

Even though I am going through a painful situation - sick child, bad health, strained relationships, financial hardships - I want God's perspective on my situation more than I want Him to change my circumstances.

God wants me to know Him that intimately. Then, I can know His thoughts about a situation. I can know how He would act in the situation. I can know what He wants me to do.

Be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.  (Romans 12:2)

When I renew my mind, I know God more personally. I know His thoughts and His will.

Then I follow His will in His way.

For the Lord gives wisdom;

from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.

Proverbs 2:6

I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere to go. My own wisdom, and that of all about me, seemed insufficient for the day.

Abraham Lincoln

To read about Wisdom:

   What is it?
   Wisdom in Marriage

For more about Wisdom, stay tuned for our next post!

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!

LIVING WELL Prayer Requests, April, 2010

Praises:

Great work of God in Preparing for Marriage class

 

Prayer Requests:

1. Morogoro 2010, Tanzania mission trip: planning, participants, and provision
2. Donations to fill the gap of our budget shortfall, so Ed and Donna will be able to continue Living Well ministry activities
3. Living Well in Marriage class, Sundays, 6-7:30
4. Donna’s stamina
5. Wisdom in marriage and financial guidance appointments
6. Good health and protection

"If your mouth turns into a knife, it will cut off your lips." African Proverb

"Man counts what he has refused, not what he has given." African Proverb

"Wisdom does not come overnight." African Proverb

 

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. James 1:5