Get Real with God ~ Wisdom

My two most favorite books of the bible are Proverbs and James.  And not surprisingly both of these books deal practically and fervently with WISDOM.

As a teen I used wisdom to deal with difficult people at school, problems with my parents and how to spend my money.  Now as an adult I find I still need wisdom for the same things, just in a different context.

Now the difficult people at school are my own children!  I know that’s kind of funny, but it’s true isn’t it?  When you homeschool, sometimes your own children become so difficult that it’s all you can do to cry out for wisdom!  If you don’t homeschool, you still might deal with difficult teachers or other children that have a bad influence on your own.  You need just as much wisdom!

I don’t have problems with my parent’s anymore, but since I’m that parent now I need wisdom to help me deal with my own children at each level of their development.  The kind of wisdom I need in caring for my tot is a different than the kind of wisdom I need for caring for my teens. 

And money…wow…money is always money!  And these days it’s even more important to have wisdom.  Should I stock up on Peanut Butter before the prices go through the roof?

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” James 1:5

Liberally-adj. Given, used, or occurring in generous amounts.

Reproach-n. The expression of disapproval or disappointment.

Do you realize that this verse tells us that God does not grow tired of our asking Him for wisdom?  And He gives it to us in GENEROUS AMOUNTS! This is so amazing!  And what’s even more amazing is that in chapter 3 of James, we learn just exactly what wisdom looks like.

“But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.”  James 3:17

I love this because it’s a guideline to know that if I feel like the Lord has given me an idea to solve a problem it better line up with what He’s told me wisdom looks like!  It’s probably not wisdom to scream at my children, since that wouldn’t be gentle or full of mercy.  It’s probably not wisdom to throw away all my children’s toys when they leave them lying around because that wouldn’t be without hypocrisy…I leave my stuff lying around too.  You get the idea.

My encouragement to you this month is to remember that God has the answers and He’s ready and willing to help you, you just have to ask!  After you’ve asked, listen for His answer.  When you think you’ve heard something, see if it lines up with His word, then GO FOR IT!  If wisdom was good enough to help establish the foundations of the earth, it’s good enough to help us in our Tot-Raising!