Growing in Wisdom

"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." James 1:5



Well, the last few blogs have had to do with decision-making. Unfortunately, we never come to a point in our lives where we get to stop making decisions-- at least not this life! So, in order to make wise decisions, we must look to the Lord to give us wisdom. After all, His word tells us that if we ask for wisdom, He will grant us that.



Watching our children grow and seeing their personalities develop has been such a neat thing. We're really silly at our house and my husband and I have thoroughly enjoyed seeing them each develop their own sense of humor. We've spent countless hours laughing at each other's silliness. However, beyond that sense of humor, and far more important, has been the evolving of spiritual growth in them. Now THAT'S a neat thing to watch! How privileged we feel to be able to see it from the very beginning of their spiriual lives.

My son came to a saving relationship with Jesus Christ at a father-son banquet a few years ago. My husband was able to experience the joy of leading him through a prayer of surrender to Jesus. Although sad I missed the moment, what a neat bonding experience for the two boys in my life! However, with my daughter, I was able to witness the experience firsthand. You see, she'd been asking about the process from the time she was three years old! Yet we knew she wasn't mature enough to even comprehend any of it. So she asked about it repeatedly. We just kept saying, "Not yet, honey. One day you'll be ready." So several years went by and she continued to ask and we continued to tell her that we knew she loved God, but we wanted her to really understand what it was all about. In the meantime, we prayed for clarity in knowing when she'd be ready. We needed God to clearly reveal to us when her heart and mind would be ready for complete surrender to Jesus.

One morning, around 5:15am, my daughter came running down the stairs. I had no idea what was going on. I had just gotten up myself and was studying the bible over a cup of coffee. She burst through the bedroom door and through my groggy eyes, I saw a precious little smile on her face. I was bewildered, as I usually have to drag her out of bed for school. So my husband and I asked, "What's up, honey?" She said, "I did it. I asked Jesus in my heart. You kept telling me that I wasn't ready. I didn't want to wait anymore. Will you PLEASE pray with me now? I want to make sure I did it just right. I want Him there. PLEASE?" My husband and I looked at each other and knew she was ready. There was no doubt. She wasn't in a crowd of people just wanting to be like everyone else. She was a little girl on her knees by our bed before the sun had even come up. So, my husband led her through the prayer once again. She was so excited, she was ready to call everyone she knew. We laughed when we told her she might need to wait until other people were actually awake!

What a precious time in the life of a parent. We were able to witness firsthand the most important milestone in the lives of our children. What a responsibility at the same time! Because at the same time, we know we're responsible for the training and teaching of our children. For that reason, we realize how important it is to ask for wisdom in the area of parenting and, when we one day become grandparents, grandparenting. He's given us the responsibility to oversee their growth in every area. Without His guidance, we'd be helpless to do that.

Now our children still have a long way to go. They still argue sometimes. They still ask questions which reveal their lack of understanding in some areas, but they're growing. The most important part is they understand what Christ sacrificed for them and it breaks their hearts. That's what it all boils down to for all of us. We must be broken over our sin and humbled by His sacrifice. The rest is a growth process from there. We spend the rest of our days growing. The work won't be complete in us until eternity.

Father, your word tell us that if we ask for wisdom, you'll grant us that. We know that when we ask that, we must be earnestly seeking the wisdom from You. We must humble ourselves and do away with selfish desires. We must come to you seeking Your face. And Father, I know there have been time in my life where I've asked for wisdom, but I've held onto my own plans and desires. It wasn't until I let go that you gave me discernment. Lord, please keep me from getting in the way of what you plan to do through me. All glory and honor belongs to you. Cast away all self-righteousness. There's no place for that in my life. May we all approach Your throne with humility and a genuine, burning desire to be the vessels you need to carry out your plans. And Lord, for any who don't know You, I desperately pray for a yearning desire to have you in control of their lives. May they not do anything else today before they come to you in surrender. Burden the lost, Lord. Our days are numbered. Oh, how I long for the lost to experience the abundant life in You. I cannot begin to imagine my life without You. Surely it would be spent searching to fill a void that could never, ever be filled outside of You. Speak to our hearts, Lord. We love You because You first loved us. In Your Mighty Name, Amen.