James: Wisdom From AboveSample

It’s hard to ask for help when you’re expecting to hear ‘I told you so.’ When we ask for help, we’re admitting that we can’t do something on our own. It can be a bitter pill to swallow because we put ourselves in a position of weakness and humility that might be abused. We’ve probably all had a person in our lives, maybe a parent or a friend, who has smugly celebrated when we have finally realized that we were wrong, and they were right. They don’t make it easy for us to ask for help.

But God is not like that. He sees our struggle to live righteously; how hard it is for us to ‘boast in humiliation’ (James 1:10), or to count the trials of life as ‘all joy’ (James 1:2). He knows how we are tempted to sin. But when we ask Him for help, He gives unwaveringly without finding fault. He isn’t plotting against us, trying to cause us to stumble and sin. Rather, every good gift we have is from Him and it was of His own will that we were made into new creations.

God wants to give us wisdom – the ability to make decisions that please Him and live our lives in a way that reflects His character. If we ask Him sincerely and honestly, there is nothing that can stop Him from giving us this gift.

Reflection: What might be stopping you from honestly and sincerely asking God for wisdom?