How To Get Wisdom

God told King Solomon to ask for anything. Solomon asked for wisdom.

“The speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. Then God said to him: ‘Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked long life for yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice, behold, I have done according to your words; see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you. And I have also given you what you have not asked: both riches and honor, so that there shall not be anyone like you among the kings all your days. So if you walk in My ways, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days’” (1 Kings 3:10-14).

Solomon’s request pleased the Lord, so God gave him much more than wisdom. Riches, honor, length of days.

Have you ever asked for wisdom? When you ask for wisdom, you get bonus blessings.

But when you ask for wisdom, you also get trials. Because joy through trials is how you get wisdom.

“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 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 his ways” (James 1:2-8).

Why would you ever “count it all joy when you fall into various trials”? So that “you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”

But I left something out. The process is more like this:
1. Count it all joy when you fall into various trials
2. because trials will test you
3. and be patient while you are tested because that is what makes you complete, lacking nothing

Are you with me so far? Trials test you. Sometimes for a long time. So be patient and the perfect work of the trial will make you perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If you know that in your bones, you can’t help but to count it all joy for every trial.

Now for wisdom. James gave us the process: trials > testing > complete, lacking nothing. And he assumes you’re still tracking when he uses wisdom as an example. Do you lack wisdom?
1. Count it all joy when you fall into the types of trials that will grow your wisdom
2. because trials will test you
3. and be patient while you are tested because that is what makes you complete, so that you no longer lack wisdom

Then he encourages us to stick to the process. Don’t stop when the waves come. Don’t stop when the trials get hard. Don’t be double-minded and say you want the trials that will produce wisdom, but live like you don’t.

Ask for wisdom. And when the trials come, count it all joy, because that’s how wisdom happens.

What do you think?
Joseph

(I should note that Douglas Wilson has shaped my thinking on the above. His thoughts are slightly different, however, and you can read them here.)