“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.”
I was praying for a politician this week who was going through one of the hardest decision making issues of her life and career. I saw a map fall in her lap giving her a third option that wasn’t on her table of choices. I didn’t tell her the vision but I said, “I feel like there is another option that isn’t on the table yet that God wants to show you.”
She said, “No, there are only two options. I have to choose one of these.”
I said, “Lets pray for God’s wisdom, it’s different even then what experts can come up with. His wisdom is actionable, not just philosophical or theological (although good theology is always actionable).” We prayed together and left the meeting but she was extremely discouraged because she was no closer to knowing what to do then before we met.
Several hours later, I got a call from her: “You have no idea what happened!”
“Tell me,” I said.
“I was in a committee meeting that had nothing to do with my decision I had to make, but as they were putting an issue on the table and everyone was working it through, someone said something so brilliant, so outside the box and it was like it had never occurred to anyone but it was so easy! That’s when I knew you were right, God wanted to give me another option. So I went to a number of colleagues and told them my decision with the only two answers but felt there was a 3rd option that I just couldn’t see. After three conversations it came! Only God could have brought it but we have the 3rd option! A God option!.”
I immediately felt that God was saying to her and to the body of Christ that He has options for us that we may not be seeing. He has wisdom that isn’t here yet but if we ask Him for it, we are going to have solutions, help and relational guidance from God.
For some of you, God is saying “I am giving you wisdom.” To others God is saying “Let Me give you My way of seeing this along with the empathy in the situation so you can know Me and My heart.”
God even has a way forward for what looks like impossible situations or low level resolutions that could only bring a lot of loss and brokenness. God is speaking to those situations: “Let Me be your Redeemer and Resolver.”
One of the spiritual gifts is wisdom, which means to have God’s perceptions and thoughts and plans for His will in your life. That means you are not limited by what you think or can plan or to your own education or life experience but you have the process of the mind of Christ at work in you just like it says in 1 Corinthians 2:16, “Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
Action Items
Pray again over what you need wisdom for. Maybe it’s finances, relationships, legal issues, housing, your career, your children, your marriage and ask God to give you wisdom.
Ask for specific wisdom for specific problems. Look for His answers to come through conversations you are having, sermons you are listening to, or within certain relational connections. When you hear His wisdom – press into it! Lastly, get prayer! Ask someone who has a deep connection to Christ for prayer and pray with them and also ask them to continue praying for you!
To find out more, listen to my full podcast on The Shawn Bolz Show