Walking in Wisdom – Jennifer Woodley
‘If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given to you.’ James 1:5 (NRSV)
Why did those words rush headlong into another, causing harm and hurt? With shame and sorrow I apologized, but the damage had been done. I carried the weight of my offense for some time afterwards, condemning myself over and over again.
Does this behavior sound familiar? We can all resonate with this situation. We ask that God would set a guard over our mouth, then carelessly speak out words that wound another. How can we say we have a relationship with God, but fail to guard our words? Being slow to speak can be very hard.
But condemning ourselves is of no help. The answer to our dilemma is found in James 1:5. What we need is God’s wisdom and if we ask for this, He will give it! God won’t see our lack of wisdom as an opportunity to scold (or condemn) us over our failures, but instead He will overwhelm our failures with His generous grace. God always leads us into freedom. He unbinds us from the grave clothes of shame, guilt and self-condemnation. He does not inflict further pain upon us. But sets us free by His forgiveness. Our loving Heavenly Father simply asks us to come to Him and ask in faith for the wisdom we need in every circumstance and the grace to accept His help.
‘Father, I ask you for wisdom in situations I face today. Thank you that you show me how to act and what to say as I listen intently to your Holy Spirit. Amen.’
Jennifer is an Australian freelance writer who enjoys encouraging others on their journey with Jesus Christ. Contact | 
