As we ‘go deeper’ and consider our need for wisdom, we turn to the book of James.
James says,
‘If any of you need wisdom, ask God for it. He will give it to you. God gives freely to everyone. He doesn’t find fault. But when you ask, you must believe. You must not doubt. People who doubt are like waves of the sea. The wind blows and tosses them around. 7A man like that shouldn’t expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8He can’t make up his mind. He can never decide what to do’ (James 1:5–8)
As James teaches about wisdom, he connects suffering with the need for true godly wisdom. In the preceding verses he writes:
‘My brothers and sisters, you will face all kinds of trouble. When you do, think of it as pure joy. Your faith will be put to the test. You know that when that happens it will produce in you the strength to continue. The strength to keep going must be allowed to finish its work. Then you will be all you should be. You will have everything you need.’ (James 1:2–4).
So what has suffering got to do with wisdom?
When tough times come, the first casualty, for me at least, is my ability to think clearly and sensibly. I react rather than respond, and sulk, go into imaginative overdrive and succumb to paralyzing fear, or drift into other mental cul-de-sacs that only serve to make things worse.
James prioritizes wisdom, Proverbs prizes it
James uses over 50 imperatives in the 108 verses of his epistle. Three times in his letter James talks specifically about asking God for things. In chapter 4, he tells us ask God, and ask God for the right things. In chapter 5, he teaches about asking God for healing.
But the very first thing James tells us to ask for is wisdom.
Proverbs prizes wisdom.
‘Wisdom is best. So get wisdom. No matter what it costs, get understanding. Value wisdom, and she will lift you up. Hold her close, and she will honour you. She will set a beautiful crown on your head. She will give you a glorious crown.’ My son, listen. Accept what I say. Then you will live for many years. I guide you in the way of wisdom. I lead you along straight paths’. (Proverbs 4:7–11).
Wisdom, or lack of it, changes the world. The disaster of humanity’s fall in Eden came because the first couple ignored God’s clear instruction and wisdom. In every area of life, we need the wisdom of God - in our friendships, marriages, sexuality, money, business, politics - every area! But too often, we walk in arrogance….
Seeking wisdom calls for humility
James says, ‘If any of you need wisdom’.
That’s a rhetorical statement, like saying, ‘Does anyone alive breathe?’, or, ‘Do birds fly?’
We all need wisdom, but admitting our lack of it requires humility. From early on, many of us are told to stand on our own two feet, to use our common sense. One of the most popular songs played at funerals is still, ‘My Way’ by Frank Sinatra.
Just living in the age we live in, with all our technological advances - that alone can give us a sense of arrogance in what C. S. Lewis calls, ‘chronological snobbery’.
’Chronological snobbery is the assumption that whatever has gone out of date is on that account discredited’ - C. S. Lewis, Surprised By Joy.
‘My grandparents were ignorant people by our standards, and my grandfather held only lowly jobs. But their home was spiritually rich because all the things done in it, not only what was specifically ritual, found their origin in the Bible’s commandments, and their explanation in the Bible’s stories and the commentaries on them, and had their imaginative counterparts in the deeds of the myriad of exemplary heroes. My grandparents found reasons for the existence of their family and the fulfillment of their duties in serious writings, and they interpreted their special sufferings with respect to a great and ennobling past … [and then comes the punch] I do not believe that my generation, my cousins who have been educated in the American way, all of whom are M.D.s or Ph.D.s, have any comparable learning. When they talk about heaven and earth, the relations between men and women, parents and children, the human condition, I hear nothing but clichés, superficialities, the material of satire’ - Professor Allan Bloom, The Closing of the American Mind.
Asking for wisdom shows intentionality and flows from relationship with Christ
James says of wisdom, ‘ask God for it’.
For the Lord gives wisdom, from his mouth come knowledge and understanding (Proverbs 2:6)
God is the source. He personifies wisdom:
Christ is God’s power and God’s wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:24)
There’s no rebuke when we ask in faith
‘God gives freely to everyone. He doesn’t find fault. But when you ask, you must believe’
A final word from Moses:
‘I have taught you rules and laws, just as the Lord my God commanded me. Follow them in the land you are entering to take as your very own. Be careful to keep them. That will show the nations how wise and understanding you are. They will hear about all of those rules. They’ll say, ‘That great nation certainly has wise and understanding people.’ (Deuteronomy 4:5–6)
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