Last night, as I was putting my 6 year old daughter to bed, she asked me to read to her from the book of James. I’m currently doing an amazing study on this particular book of the bible and of course my daughter wants to be like her mom. Talk about making a mama’s heart swell with pride!
She has, what I consider to be, an awesome translation of the bible called the NIrV (New International Reader’s Version), which is written at a 3rd grade reading level. This allows her to understand what we are reading and as a 1st grader begin to read the Word on her her own. This builds excitement and understanding in her young faith life.
One of my favorite things about this bible is that it is packed full of “Live It” sections. So, as James was telling us to ask God for wisdom, we peeked at the “Live It” section entitled “Wisdom.” It discussed that wisdom means knowing the right thing to do, and that we can ask God for wisdom and he will give it to us. It goes on to say that when you have a difficult decision to make that you should talk it over with your parents, pray with them about it, and then have them help you find out if the Bible says something about it.
We spent the rest of our time that evening discussing decisions she may have to make at home and at school, praying for wisdom, and then searching to see if the Bible had something to say about each scenario. And, as I expected, it did! I loved seeing her eyes light up as she realized how relevant scripture is to her 1st grade life.
The reason I’m sharing this with you today is because I think we, as adults, can learn a lot from this simple “Live It” exercise. We are faced with so many decisions in life, from what to cook for dinner tonight to more important things such as should we change jobs, how we should spend our free time, if we should be a stay at home parent, and so many others.
When we are making decisions in life, are we honestly approaching God and asking him for wisdom to make the best choice? And, are we expectant that he will grant us wisdom or do we doubt? James tells us, “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. 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.” (James 1:5-6)
As I am memorizing this verse, writing it in my mind and on my heart, I find that I am asking for wisdom more and more in the everyday moments of my life. Just this past weekend, I sought wisdom from the Lord regarding an opportunity that was presented to me. “Lord, give me wisdom to know if I should sign up for the women’s bible study at church, or if it will be too much stress to work it around my work schedule. I thank you Lord in advance for blessings me with this wisdom, so that I can make a decision that is in line with Your will for my life.” We need to be careful not to pass up these little opportunities in life to seek wisdom!
Then, as we pray and ask God for wisdom, do we then search scripture to see if it has anything to say about our decision? Scripture is so relevant to our everyday lives and is one of the ways the Holy Spirit can speak to us and give us wisdom. We are so blessed in this day and age that we can simply type into Google what we are seeking and we can often find lists and lists of bible verses that are relevant to our concerns.
The next time you are faced with a decision, I want you to STOP. Stop obsessing. Stop worrying. Stop being stressed. Stop trying to make the decision on your own. Take a few minutes and ask God for wisdom in making your decision and do so expectantly thanking him in advance. Open your bible, or do a quick Google search if you need a little help, and see what scripture may say about this particular subject. Let the wisdom of the Holy Spirit guide you and help you in discerning what is the best course of action, one that is in line with the will of God.
May God bless each and every one of you with wisdom today and always.