Are You Looking for Wisdom?

If any of you is lacking in wisdom, let him ask of God who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you. But ask in faith, never doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind … - James 1:5-6

In all of life, whether we know it or not, we’re looking for wisdom. Years ago when my four children were young, I remember looking for wisdom. I may not have called it “wisdom” but that’s what I was seeking. These four little “rug rats,” the apples of my eye, deserved the best parenting I could give. Back then, there were few parenting manuals. All I had to go on was Dr. Spock. Some of you past forty may remember him. This was the only resource I had, except for family and friends.

I struggled with one idea after another, but just didn’t feel like I had a stable footing on “what to do when …” The struggle changed when my youngest child was a year and a half old. Later that year, the realization hit me that I now had access to a phenomenal source of wisdom.

One evening I worried, fretted and prayed for our oldest, our six-year-old son. Taking his bike, he and a friend left our safe little neighborhood. As I loaded our children in the car to go look for him, my thoughts raced, “Where should I look first?” Riding though the neighborhood in hopes of finding him soon resulted in more anxiety; our son was nowhere in sight. I went home to wait for my husband to get home from work. There were no cell phones in those days.

As I waited, I prayed and opened my Bible, seeking some sort of comfort. Instead, I received direction …wisdom for our situation. As a new believer, I knew God was with me, even in my fear. I was no longer on my own in the struggles of life. I opened my Bible to the book of Ephesians, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother that it may go well with you … And, fathers, do not provoke your children to anger; but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Eph. 6: 1-4). This sentence seemed to jump off the page.

My husband pulled his truck into the driveway, and I ran out to meet him. With tears in my eyes, I explained the situation. My husband was anxious and angry. I knew he would over-react when he found our son. I said, “When you find him, let’s discipline him with firmness and then pray together.” For the first time, I had the way to handle a parenting situation …God’s way.

Twenty minutes later, my husband walked through the door with our son in tow. The little boys crossed a “forbidden,” well-trafficked street. I was so relieved; all I could do was clutch the little rascal close to my heart and thank God over and over.

I turned and looked at my husband, reminding him of the words from Scripture, “Children obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.” These words of wisdom gave us a moral compass and foundational reason to train our son in the right way. Instead of disciplining him in unreasonable anger, we disciplined in love and firmness. Thank God for His wonderful wisdom!

Daily you face new challenges. You, like me, need God’s wisdom to lead and guide you. Let’s remember what the Apostle James says about wisdom, “If any lacks wisdom, let him ask of God who gives generously.”

Let’s pray together:
Lord, thank you for all your blessings. One blessing is the wisdom you promised to give to me. I ask for wisdom for each decision I make regarding my life. God, your wisdom produces peace in my heart. When I need insight and understanding about my health care, my family, my finances, or other areas of life, I look to you and your word to guide and direct me. Thank you, Lord, for your wonderful wisdom. Amen!