Wisdom needed
Today we need to begin talking about how to actually survive a trial.
We've covered the theory: That God is not the author of evil, that trials can make us stronger, that trials are a way for God's light to shine in us, and that God is always with us. But how do we actually get through a trial? How do we get through this? If it were easy it would not be a trial. A trial, by definition, is hard.
James tells us that we can ask for wisdom. His implication is that wisdom is what we need to come through our trials. But what is wisdom? Is it knowledge, common sense, or a mature outlook on life? Maybe all three and something more. Throughout the Old Testament wisdom is connected with the worship and love of God. There is a sense in which wisdom is the 'God perspective' on life.
Life is like a tapestry - when we look at a tapestry from the back, it is a mess - a tangle of knots and colours in apparent chaos and uncertainty. Wisdom is learning to allow God to give us glimpses of the picture as He sees it - from the right perspective.
A trial is, at the end of the day, a battle in the mind. The cause of the trial can be physical, emotional, or spiritual but the battlefield is in our hearts and minds. Wisdom is a balanced view that looks beyond the chaos of the here and now.
Wisdom looks BACK to God's faithfulness in the past and
it looks FORWARD to the future where God wipes away our tears.
Wisdom looks UP to God in faith,
it looks AROUND to those who can help us,
and it looks DOWN on our problems.
| Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do. (James1:2-8) |
