Wisdom

Today's devtional by Rick Warren is great. It is a great reminder that when we need guidance and clarity then all we have to do is ask for God's wisdom and he will give it to us.

Need wisdom? Just ask.
by Rick Warren


"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 NIV)
Need wisdom? We all do. And the good news is that God wants to give it to you. He is eager to do so.

Just like it pleased God when Solomon asked for wisdom (1 Kings 3:7-14), it pleases God when we ask for wisdom. It's God's nature to give. He is a giving God.

The Bible says in James 1:5, "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." (NIV)

This verse says three things about how God gives wisdom. He does so:

Continually. "Ask God who gives ..." In Greek this is in the continuous tense. He keeps on giving. He doesn't run out of energy. He never wears out.

Generously. God's resources are unlimited. He has enough resources for everyone. He's got plenty of wisdom to go around.

Cheerfully. James says God gives "without finding fault." God loves to give. It's in his nature to give! Don't get embarrassed to ask. He wants to give you wisdom!

Where do you need wisdom? Got a big decision coming with your career, your marriage, or your kids? God wants to help. He has wisdom to offer. But remember what James says. If you want wisdom from God, you've got to ask! If you ask, he'll give it.

That's a promise!

A God-Fashioned Life

I was reading my devotional this morning and it was so inspiring because I have been going through a season of waiting and resting on the Lord. It is very tempting in those moments to get frustrated and impatient and think that God is not listening or working behind the scenes. But the truth is, he is! We just have to realize that God is more interested in building and shaping our Character than he is in fulfilling our prayers. We just have to keep the right perspective and when we do then God is right there to bless us! Here is the devotional from today:

A God-Fashioned Life
by Rick Warren

Take on an entirely new way of life - a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you. Ephesians 4:22-24 (MSG)
"God's ultimate goal for your life on earth is not comfort, but character development. He wants you to grow up spiritually and become like Christ. Becoming like Christ does not mean losing your personality or becoming a mindless clone. "

Many religions and New Age philosophies promote the old lie that we are divine or can become gods. Let me be absolutely clear: you will never become God, or even a god.

That prideful lie is Satan's oldest temptation. Satan promised Adam and Eve that if they followed his advice, "you shall be as gods." (Genesis 3:5 KJV)

This desire to be a god shows up every time we try to control our circumstances, our future, and people around us. But as creatures, we will never be the Creator. God doesn't want you to become a god; he wants you to become godly, taking on his values, attitudes, and character. We are meant to "take on an entirely new way of life - a God-fashioned life, a life renewed from the inside and working itself into your conduct as God accurately reproduces his character in you." (Ephesians 4:22-24 MSG)

God's ultimate goal for your life on earth is not comfort, but character development. He wants you to grow up spiritually and become like Christ. Becoming like Christ does not mean losing your personality or becoming a mindless clone.

God created your uniqueness, so he certainly doesn't want to destroy it. Christlikeness is all about transforming your character, not your personality.

God wants you to develop the kind of character described in the Beatitudes of Jesus, the fruit of the Spirit, Paul's great chapter on love, and Peter's list of the characteristics of an effective and productive life. (Matthew 5:1-12; Galatians 5:22-23; 1 Corinthians 13; 2 Peter 1:5-8)

Every time you forget that character is one of God's purposes for your life, you will become frustrated by your circumstances. You'll wonder, "Why is this happening to me? Why am I having such a difficult time?" One answer is that life is supposed to be difficult! It's what enables us to grow. Remember, earth is not heaven!

Many Christians misinterpret Jesus' promise of the "abundant life" (John 10:10) to mean perfect health, a comfortable lifestyle, constant happiness, full realization of your dreams, and instant relief from problems through faith and prayer.

In a word, they expect the Christian life to be easy. They expect heaven on earth.

This self-absorbed perspective treats God as a genie who simply exists to serve you in your selfish pursuit of personal fulfillment. But God is not your servant, and if you fall for the idea that life is supposed to be easy, either you will become severely disillusioned or you will live in denial of reality.

Never forget that life is not about you! You exist for God's purposes, not vice versa. Why would God provide heaven on earth when he's planned the real thing for you in eternity? God gives us our time on earth to build and strengthen our character for heaven.