James 1:5-8

Over the last six months, I have been at a stage in my life where I have questioned many aspects of my faith. The one that sticks out in my mind the most was last September, when I questioned whether I knew enough at age 10 to be rightly baptized. I spent three straight days holed up in my room, desperately studying and terrified. But when I reached the end of my study and my conclusion, I found I understood the gospel and my Savior better than ever before. I understood its simplicity and its importance. Not only was my question answered (after those three days, I could conclude that my response to God’s commands had been scriptural), but I was supremely blessed by that study. I feel more in awe of my Savior and more ready to share His Word.

In looking back on this experience, I think of James 1:5, which states, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it shall be given him.” This is both a command and a promise. When we lack the wisdom we need to live a life in service to God, we are told to ask Him. In return, the Holy Spirit through James tells us that such wisdom will be given to us. In a phase in my life where my lack of information scared me, God’s fulfillment of the promise was a huge comfort. It made me think about the beauty of the way God provides for us when we lack wisdom. So, today I would like to look at three aspects of God giving us wisdom: the promise of wisdom, the seeking for wisdom, and the reason that God will give us wisdom.

First, there is the promise. So succinctly stated in this verse, the fact that God will give us wisdom if we seek it is all over scripture. The most obvious example is Solomon, who, when told by God to ask a boon, asked for wisdom. Not only did God grant it, but 1 Kings 3:10 said that God was pleased by the request. Similarly in the New Testament, Jesus says in Matthew 5:6, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” People who are looking for righteousness, who are studying how to please God, will find what they are looking for.

However, the granting of wisdom requires a certain attitude. It requires the seeker to truly seek. James 1 goes on to say after verse 5, “ But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all of his ways.” The soul who seeks will find. Yet, they must be seeking with a whole heart. In his book Thinking Through Christianity, Dr. Gardner says of verses 5-8, “The passage in James cited previously explains this basic truth with a nice play on words regarding God’s attitude about our attitude: God gives wisdom “generously” (ESV) or “liberally” (KJV), translating a Greek adverb that more literally translates as “singly,” i.e., without mixed feelings, but only if we are asking without the mixed feelings of a divided mind. God gives wholeheartedly to those who seek him wholeheartedly.”  If we have our priorities sorted out, we have no reason to doubt whether God will provide his children with wisdom.

For God longs to provide His children with wisdom. Why would God command us to get wisdom if He does not want us to have it? What is the Bible if not a communication of God to mankind, teaching them the wisdom of right living? The Holy Spirit pleads for the first 9 chapters of Proverbs for the reader to get wisdom. The Old Testament prophets call the nation of Israel to act wisely. Does not even Jesus say, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him” (Matthew 7:11)?

Wisdom is a good thing, so it falls into that category. If God is a Father, and He loves His children, won’t He give His children wisdom when they ask for it? Did not Jesus come to the earth at least partially to teach? And, in Matthew 11:29, doesn’t Jesus invite the heavy laden to  “take My yoke upon you and learn of Me” so that they could “find rest for your souls”? Why would there be such a powerful call to learn wisdom in scripture, with even God’s own Son issuing it, if God does not have a strong desire to teach us?

The reason that we can be comfortable when we have spiritual questions is because we know that God has the ability and willingness to answer them. Not only that, but He has promised us that He will give us the wisdom we need. When we trust our Savior, we can enter the unknown, even the intellectual unknown, with confidence that He is by our side. Now comfort should not be confused with complacency, for if we do not seek we will not find. But Jesus says “seek and you shall find” (Matthew 7:7), and that is final. How do we seek it? Jesus says we ought to come to Him (Matt 11:28), and we can do so through the Scriptures. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 states that “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” This verse brings us back around the the promise given in James 1:5 that wisdom will be given to the one who asks. We will not lack for long. God will provide wisdom through His word, and we will not lack wisdom but instead, as Paul tells Timothy, we will be complete.

Since God got me through my doubts about my baptism, having questions about my faith seems less scary now. I know that if I seek the knowledge that pertains to salvation wholeheartedly, God is going to grant it to me. After all, He wants me to be saved. Simultaneously, there are some questions that I am going to ask that aren’t going to be answered in this life, or maybe ever. Think of Job, who never got an explanation for his suffering. Think of Paul, receiving the answer “My grace is sufficient for you.” Nevertheless, whenever I ask for a certain piece of information, both God’s “yes” and His “no” give me wisdom, because they get me closer to Him. If I have a question that I alone can’t answer, that forces me into His word, encouraging me to seek out what He says about the issue. If I find it, I understand Him better. But if there is no answer, that requires me to trust Him. Sometimes real trust isn’t built until you have no choice but to lean on God. Sometimes God uses our questions, even the unanswered ones, to strengthen us. No matter what the situation, having honest questions about our faith does not have to be damaging. Instead, it can be beautiful, as long as we trust God and listen to what He says.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright ©1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by Permission. All rights reserved.

Gardner, Jim. Thinking Through Christianity. Gospel Advocate Company, 2022.

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Jadyn Allen

My name is Jadyn, and I’m currently a student at Freed-Hardeman University. I’m planning to attend law school and eventually practice adoption law. My favorite chapter of the Bible is Nehemiah 9, and I’m a huge fan of origami and fantasy books, especially the Fablehaven series!

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