How to Get Wisdom
James 1:5-8
August 29, 2022
Do you remember our Aladdin’s lamp from last Sunday? The bad news is that no one is
going to come and be able to grant you three wishes.
You could make yourself a “Reset” button if you want to and try that. (Button pushing
time.)
But even a cool button won’t let you really go back start all over in life.
But there really is a way to reset your future. You “Reset” your future by learning
what the Bible teaches about wisdom and putting that information into
consistent practice. I can’t undo what I have done, but I can learn to make good
decisions now and from now on. Wisdom changes everything! What can wisdom
bring into your life?
Increased productivity, enhanced time and resource management, quicker and
more effective achievement of goals, better relationships, and a more
significant impact on other lives. Peace, abundant life, hope, purpose are all
found through the application of wisdom in our lives.
We all have a life story. Long after we are gone, someone will still be telling our life
story.
Right now, each one of us is building our life story. The building blocks in our life
story are the decisions we make every day.
The questions that really matter are:
How can I make better decisions so that my life story will be something that helps
my family and they want to pass on what they learned from us?
What information source can I trust?
How can I insure that my prayers are answered?
5 (NLT) If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you.
He will not rebuke you for asking.
6 But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver,
for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is
blown and tossed by the wind.
7 Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.
8 Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in
everything they do.
What is wisdom?
I would define wisdom as knowing what God wants you to do, and knowing it
so clearly that you are compelled to do it.
- What are some areas of life in which your friends typically need more wisdom?
Family finances, personal relationships, job decisions, health issues and management of
all our resources.
Relationships need work. Families are so dysfunctional that divorce has gone wild, and
the kids are not learning what God has for them. The divorce rate in America is almost
50%. Marriage rate in the U.S. is 5.1 per 1,000 population. In 1990 it was 9.8 per
1,000. The stats are a little hard for me to understand, but the marriage rate is at 50%.
About half of our population is married.
45% of Americans have no savings.
Job stability is low. Today, workers change jobs on average every 4.2 years.
The list goes on and on. We need wisdom in all our decisions. Decisions impact people.
(On the back of your paper, list three decisions you made where wisdom would have
change things significantly.)
- Why do you think God wants to give people wisdom?
God wants us making right choices. Jesus reinforced this teaching in John 10:10b when
He said,
“The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them
a rich and satisfying life.”
Jesus wants to give you a life that matters to Him, to you, your family, and your
community. Simply put, Jesus wants your life to count well. - How would your life be different if you and the people around you had more wisdom?
If the people around me had more wisdom, they would start fewer problems and help
with more solutions to the problems we face.
If I had more wisdom, I would be more stable in every area of life. - What do you think it means to ask for wisdom without wavering? (1:6- 8)
6 But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver,
for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is
blown and tossed by the wind.
7 Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.
8 Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in
everything they do.
I think it means to ask God for wisdom with my mind already made up that I will obey
Him no matter what He tells me to do.
You don’t name it and claim it. God has already named it. You claim it by
doing what God says to do! - What is a person with divided loyalty going to get from God? What does this look
like? (1:7-8)
Nothing. Does this explain why so many people have unanswered prayers?
A person with divided loyalty often has this type of attitude, “Show me what You want,
Lord, and I’ll decide which part of your will that I will obey.” - How can we ask God for wisdom “in faith”?
It means I ask for God’s wisdom (what He wants me to do) and I follow His instructions
and trust Him for the results. That is faith. I will not ask God what He wants me to do
and then decide whether or not I will do what He leads me to do. What I think the
results may be do not matter one little bit.
You have heard people say, “I know, but…” It is not, “I know, but…” It is, “I
know, so I will do it.” - What does the following statement indicate about the speaker, “I don’t know what
God wants me to do.”? That person is not asking God for wisdom according to God’s
plan. Or, they have asked and are waiting for the answer which is sure to come.
You may have a general idea of what has for you to do from your reading of the Bible
and through some general sense of urging of the Holy Spirit, but God won’t give you
the details until you agree to obey. - How can you know that your faith is, “…in God alone?” Your faith is in God alone
when you are doing what God says to do no matter what.
Faith means that you make no decisions without yielding to God’s will.