A few minutes into making lunch after Sunday worship, I found myself lost in thought. A semi-quiet moment with half of my kids in the kitchen and the other half reading books with their dad, I stood considering the idea of wisdom. According to Senior Pastor Drew Shoffner’s Sunday message on the subject, wisdom can be defined as “the God-given ability to see life from God’s perspective.” Pastor Drew took us into James 1:2-8 to discover how prayer and wisdom intersect. In verses 5-8, we read:

 “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, without doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”

Right before the smell of burning toast distracted me from meditating on this verse further, the question came into my mind: when we begin to seek Godly wisdom, how does God’s divine wisdom come to us?

The wisdom of the world is like a chaff in the wind - it changes with culture, time, trends, and vibes. It is not a firm foundation upon which we can build our lives, despite what the world may tell us. We know that cultural rhythms ebb and flow; what once seemed wise in one pendulum swing no longer seems prudent in another. Reversals in “wisdom” are common in education, medicine, and other schools of thought. Anxiety ensues then fear abounds, and we are often left wondering how we can ground ourselves.

By stark contrast, the wisdom of the Lord transcends all of time and culture, and it is a solid rock upon which we can build a life of abundance only by grace in Jesus Christ. The smell of smoke in our lives as we allow fear to burn in our minds can be a wake up call for us to hear the call of the Lord. And He is so gracious and merciful to reveal Himself and His wisdom to us.

But where does it all start? And how do we find ourselves on the path of Godly wisdom we desperately seek? Proverbs 9:10 tells us explicitly where we begin our journey:

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.”

Godly wisdom begins in worship which abounds from a fear of the Lord in His awesome power, might, and ultimately in the knowledge of His character. When we dive deeply into the inexhaustible well of who God is and what He has done through His Son, Jesus, for our sake, we are naturally led to worship and adore Him. Seeking the pathway to grow in His wisdom rests in experiencing His presence and provision through His revelation to us through three disciplines: studying Scripture, prayer, and fellowship with other believers in Christ’s Church.

• Studying Scripture - 2 Timothy 3:16 tells us that “all Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be equipped for every good work.” When we confront ourselves with the question of who God is, we are also faced with the question about what His word teaches us. With our faith in the inerrancy of holy Scripture as the inspired word of God, we can rest in the truth of who He reveals Himself to be from Genesis to Revelation, particularly in the Incarnation of God dwelling among us in the person of Jesus Christ. As we read Scripture, we know that we are filled with His helper, the Holy Spirit, who will help us to grow in Godly wisdom upon which we can build our lives, aid in our decision making, and grow into the constitution of who we are as we grow in sanctification.

• Prayer - Pastor Drew simplified the discipline of prayer to us. Prayer is talking to God! The God of the universe loves you and made you for relationship with Himself. And like any maturing relationship, communication is key. We can trust, as James 1:5-8 tells us, that God wants to reveal His wisdom to us, and He is so gracious and faithful to provide abundantly. Jesus tells us in Matthew 7:7, “Ask and it will be given to you.” Learning to discern God’s answer to our prayers for wisdom requires our faith in His promise to provide it to us. Be not like a thrashing sea, Beloved. We can trust that He hears our prayers, and we have a High Priest, in Jesus, interceding for us.

• Fellowship - If God wants us to be relational with Him, we know that He also desires for us to have relationships with one another. This is the Church, the Bride of Christ. As we seek Godly wisdom in prayer and Bible study, we can also be confident that we can grow in wisdom as we develop relationships within our Church. Life IS better connected, especially the Christian life. Walking with other disciples of Jesus who are seeking to grow in the knowledge and love of the Lord is an important way that the paths of growing in wisdom become entrenched. Proverbs 13:20 sheds light on this, telling us that, “The one who walks with the wise becomes wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.”

We are all part of the communion of Saints. As Brothers and Sisters in Christ we can walk together seeking His wisdom, helping each other along as we run our race for His glory and into eternity.

KB