“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.” James 1:5…………..
Decades ago my Mom adamantly vehemently emphatically boldly courageously unabashedly unashamedly passionately without a single ounce of space to budge declared to me that I MUST – yes, MUST – spend one summer of my youth taking a typing course. Yes, you read that right. A typing course. Can you imagine a worse way to spend a youthful summer? Horror of all horrors, I knew there was no getting around my Mom. So despite being a perfectly normal young person utterly and rightfully of course convinced my Mom was unbelievably and incredibly wrong, I caved in. Yes. I surrendered. I took the course.
Decades later now, though I have been writing on and off since I was a little girl, now immersed and entrenched in the writing labor of love the Lord placed me on this earth for in that my writing life is utterly devoted to Him and to helping people to find and forever follow Him, I look back and realize MOM WAS RIGHT. Imagine my surprise. To find out the very loving person who wouldn’t budge all those years ago when she commanded me to take the typing course was 100% right. Typing literally has been used by God in my life beyond description as I’m sure you can imagine if you’re familiar with just how many Gospel tracts, devotionals, books, letters, and correspondence the Lord has placed on my heart to write to bring Him glory.
Now if you think this little piece is about my Mom and how Mom’s are right, and how I should have known it all along, and about how I finally love and honor my Mom the way I should have all along, you’re wrong. It’s true I love and honor my Mom today because the Lord led me to repentance for all my years of not honoring her the way I should have, and that I literally love her beyond description. But this isn’t about her, and it’s not about me, and it’s not about my relationship with her, and how much today I value all the wisdom she gave me through the years.
It’s about you, friend. For in this I share with you a powerful message we all need to hear – and to heed.
The Lord gives us wisdom directly by His Spirit at times, and directly through His Word, the Bible, at times, and there is no more important way to receive His wisdom than directly from Himself and His Word. But He also pours His wisdom through others. And though my Mom was not at the time nor is she yet a Christ follower, clearly she had wisdom I needed to hear.
Sadly, and even tragically, so very many of us go through our lives resisting, rejecting, and rebelling against the very wisdom we need in order to live our lives the way the Lord intended and to do the things He has planned for our lives.
I’m sorry looking back at all the times I resisted, rejected, and rebelled against wisdom the Lord was offering me through others, and now I make it a point to keep my heart open wide to however the Lord might desire to give me wisdom.
Mom was right, friend. And so are countless others the Lord sends our way to help us along life’s pathway.
Please keep your heart open to the wisdom He gives you no matter the vehicle He chooses. Don’t resist, reject, and rebel against His wisdom. And, if you look back and find you have resisted, rejected, and rebelled against it in the past, repent, turn to the Lord, seek His forgiveness, and follow the wisdom He gives you.
For just as my Mom did all those years ago when she in her love for me gave me the wisdom I needed at the time, the Lord in His infinite love for us gives us wisdom we need for our everyday lives.