Who Ya' Gonna Call?

What do you do when you don’t know what to do?

Do you call a family member or friend?

Do you post about it on social media?

Or, do you go to God in prayer and ask for Him for the perfect advice?

If any of you lacks wisdom…

That is such a nice way to approach this topic! We all know that we lack wisdom in every aspect of our lives. Unfortunately, we sometimes have difficulty admitting it so I do appreciate that James approaches this topic with caution.

There are three aspects of wisdom that we should be aware of. The first is knowledge. When facing a trial we cannot possibly know all that is going on. There is always more to the original story. The second is perspective. When we are caught up in a trial we cannot possibly be objective enough to look at it from an unbiased view. The third is experience. We think age brings experience and once we go through something we are an expert. However, no matter how old we get or what we have been through, we need to understand that our experience will never be complete short of eternity.

In all three of the above, we need more! We need more of each area to gain the wisdom that will get us through every trial that comes our way.

...you should ask God…

God is really good at giving but most of us are really bad at asking! (Abraham is one worthy of studying when it comes to the gift of questioning God.)

...who gives generously to all without finding fault…

I would like to suggest that James is using this passage to reassure us that there are no stupid questions!

...and it will be given to you.

Just like that? But wait, how will I know He has given it to me? We have to have a close, personal relationship with God to hear or recognize He responds to our requests.

As we go through trials and develop perseverance our goal is to become mature followers of Jesus Christ. As we become mature followers of God we will learn to know Him, love Him, and trust Him. As we learn how to do those three, we need wisdom to discern the truth of who He is, learn to love Him, and to trust our Lord and Savior in every circumstance.

As human beings with selfish motives, I would venture to guess that most of us want the wisdom granted to be that which will help get us out of a trial. However, sometimes it is not in our best interest to be removed from the trial but to stay put and learn the lesson or meaning of the trial. In other words, the easy way out is not always the best way out.

As we seek to know, love, and trust Him we may be tempted to find the easiest way out and then move toward that. I challenge you to seek multiple answers to your situation and then ask for wisdom to know which one God would have you to pursue.

Furthermore, even if we do think we know what to do, we should seek His wisdom to make sure our solution is the one God wants us to use.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the free gift of wisdom that is available to all who ask. Lord, I trust You in every aspect of my life. I trust that You will guide me to the meaning and purpose of every trial. You are all knowing and therefore, the One I should go to when I need wisdom each and every day. I pray that I rest, listen, and react in Your timing and in Your way. I pray that I hear Your voice clearly when I seek Your wisdom. Amen