JAMES 1:5-8 THE SOLE SOURCE

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6 But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.

If wisdom is the right use of knowledge it should be both our life goal and our constant petition of God. In their simplest form, knowledge is the “what” and wisdom is the “how” of living. The subject of true knowledge is truth and the source of truth is God. At the same time, God is also the source of true wisdom in that he has revealed to us how we are to live and gives us continuous guidance through his Spirit. Therefore, if we want wisdom we need only ask God.

The one caveat is that we must totally submit ourselves to God if we would be wise. It does us little good if we only call on God when it is convenient or we need an escape from a thorny situation. If wisdom is the answer to how we are to live our lives, then it is a matter of the focus of our living rather than a tool for fixing a specific circumstance.

The reason we lack wisdom is that we lack single-hearted submission to God. At any given time we call upon the world or our own self-interest before we call upon God. We forget that reason is a gift from God to be used to grow into a closer understanding of and relationship with God. It is not an alternative to dependence upon God, but a tool for knowing our true dependence on him. God alone is eternal and steadfast, and therefore the only source of true stability.

An example of the contrast between God’s stability and the variability of the world can be observed in the history of the interpretation of Scripture. The message of the Word of God is eternal, but our interpretations of the meaning and application of that Word are as varied as are the cultures and eras in which they were made. The practices of the churches today are at odds with the Word of God because of the doubts and double-mindedness of their members. We are not wise because we do not listen to the only One who can make us so.

You, O God are the source of all wisdom. Help me to seek only you for guidance in this life. Empower me by your Spirit to constantly pray for the gift of wisdom and read your Word with eyes hungry for your instruction as to the way I am to live my life in obedience to your will. Amen.