ON THE VANGUARD

LACKING WISDOM
“If any of you lack wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.”
James 1:5

It is time to share with you another honest moment from my college years. Those of you who know me well may recall that I enjoy the subjects of history and math. In high school I seemed to do well in these subjects. But college was a different story, at least when it came to history. For some reason the idea of re-learning in a deeper context the events of world history appealed little to me. And yet, as was a requirement at the university, I found myself enduring the boring lectures of two years of Humanities. I think I may have slept through more classes than I stayed awake for looking back now. Between my sleeping habits and my lack of studying for the tests, however, it is no wonder I pulled a ‘D’ all four semesters.
Still, one thing remained constant before each test. It was my prayer. I don’t know why I expected God to bless my ten word prayer, yet I found myself praying the same words before every Humanities test as if the answers were going to drop out of the sky. “God, please make me smart enough to pass this test.” I had a verse to base this prayer on, because it is in James 1:5 that we read that if we lack wisdom we should ask God who gives freely. I was hoping for a visit to the “free answer buffet” I guess. But it never happened. I wonder why. Well, if God’s people perish for a lack of wisdom, then perhaps now I see the importance of learning in addition to asking for God’s wisdom. The two make more sense when they work together, and bring about power as Sir Francis Bacon says when stating that, “Knowledge is power.”
For our next few meetings, I feel strongly to open up and camp in the book of James, and for today I feel our text needs to be James 1:5. We live in a time when I feel that, as I did in college, so many are doing now. We want the answers without doing the work. I wanted the answer key to the Humanities tests without opening the book or staying awake for a lecture, but how many more want God’s blessing without doing what He says? So then let us first look at this passage in context. The verses before tell us to consider it joy when we face trials because that testing leads us to perseverance. Perseverance is needed and must be completed so that we grow in maturity and lack nothing. But if we lack wisdom we can ask the Father who gives freely. Now wait a minute, that makes a great deal more sense. The wisdom I lack can be asked for as my perseverance is being built in times of testing, which I should look at joyfully. The problem is we do not look at it joyfully nor have patience. Society today is all fast food. I dare say we think of waiting five minutes as perseverance. But I am reminded of Abraham who waited 25 years for his promise to come around. He knew firsthand what perseverance was.
Reading these verses again, I wonder if we detach these two truths when really they should be joined. Do we read it as: Part A, count it joy when you have to wait for lack to be filled. Part B, if you are lacking ask God. Or do we read it as, wait on God because in waiting we find the growth needed for maturity, but do not be afraid to ask God for wisdom in the waiting, knowing He will answer us. I believe the second makes more sense, as I am sure Abraham again found himself in that position, asking God for wisdom as he was waiting on the promise of a child.
I close with this today. God has every intention of fulfilling His Word, but do we have every intention of doing our part? Do we have every intention of asking for His wisdom in our moments of growth, or will we be stuck in the groove of complaining while going through the trials. Honestly, I have learned the hard way that the complaining only makes the time go by slower and with more complications. It is true that He will give us wisdom when we ask, but let us embrace the trials and testing as well so that we may grow up in maturity and wisdom.