Wisdom for the FutureSample

Question 3: Why do you want it?

If you have kids, they probably went through the stage of asking, ‘Why…?’, as a response to everything you said. It may have exasperated you, but there’s something we can learn from children who constantly ask why. The truth is that to unleash problem-solving creativity and godly wisdom, we should never stop asking ourselves, why? The quality of the questions we ask ourselves determines the quality of our lives, so we need to learn to delve more deeply into our souls, where we open ourselves up to fresh encounters with God and real change begins to take place. ‘Deep thinking’ has nothing to do with age, education, or intelligence. It’s accessible to any human seeking God.

Having asked yourself what you want, you can move on to the third question and ask yourself why you want it. Be as detailed as possible in your answers to kickstart the creative process of finding solutions. Finding your why may take some time. Don’t rush. Trust the Holy Spirit to reveal what’s really going on in your heart.

It’s possible that, as you begin formulating the reasons why you want what you want, God may already be shifting you from a negative, victim mindset into a far more exciting, spacious soul space in which new possibilities for your situation are beginning to reveal themselves. Jot down what God is showing you. Have you uncovered some motives or longings you weren’t aware of until now?

Once you’ve told God your every hope, dream, need, and desire, His promise to you in Philippians 4:6–7 is that He’ll guard your heart and mind with His peace. Let this promise encourage you if you’ve been hesitant to spill your guts to God because you’re afraid to actually voice your deepest aches. Let this assurance of His protection over your heart and mind make you brave to take it all to Him. Trust that dreams can become a reality when we spell out the deeper desires around what we want. Articulating your why opens your mind to solutions you may simply never have seen or considered. This isn’t about positive thinking or magic. It’s about gaining wisdom for the future by learning to think more effectively. And if past disappointment has prevented you from letting yourself dream or even admit your deeper desires, allow God to change the quality of your thinking in this area.

God created you with right desires for wonderful relationships, greater levels of learning, and fulfilment of your potential: abundant life. Let go of despondency. No matter what challenges you face, begin to communicate your deepest desires to your Heavenly Father. Tell Him all about why you want what you want. And get ready to be surprised by the incredible things He will do in your life.