Navigating UncertaintySample

Wisdom Needed.

Today we need to begin talking about how to survive a trial.

We've covered the theory: that God is not the author of evil, that trials can make us stronger, that trials are a way for God's light to shine in us, and that God is always with us. How do we get through a trial? How do we get through this? If it were easy, it would not be a trial. A trial, by definition, is hard.

James tells us that we can ask for wisdom. His implication is that wisdom is what we need to come through our trials. But what is wisdom? Is it knowledge, common sense, or a mature outlook on life? Maybe all three and something more. Throughout the Old Testament, wisdom is connected with the worship and love of God. There is a sense in which wisdom is the 'God perspective' on life.

Life is like a tapestry - when we look at a tapestry from the back, it is a mess - a tangle of knots and colors in apparent chaos and uncertainty. Wisdom is learning to allow God to give us glimpses of the picture as He sees it - from the right perspective.

A trial is a battle in the mind. The cause of the trial can be physical, emotional, or spiritual, but the battlefield is in our hearts and minds. Wisdom is a balanced view that looks beyond the chaos of the here and now.

Wisdom looks BACK to God's faithfulness in the past and looks FORWARD to the future, where God wipes away our tears. Wisdom looks UP to God in faith, AROUND to those who can help us, and DOWN on our problems.