Skip to main content

Wisdom and Understanding

             For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives… (Colossians 1:9)

 

            Paul mentioned that they had received the gospel and were growing in faith and love.  This prayer is one of those prayers that is both safe and dangerous. It’s safe because anything that happens in our lives may be said to increase our knowledge of God’s will. It’s safe because life brings about wisdom and understanding. It’s dangerous because there’s a very good chance that the way God will answer and give us all wisdom and understanding is through difficulties.

            For example, how can we discover God’s faithfulness to us unless we fail to live according to His directions and find that He remains faithful even when we don’t deserve it? How can we discover God’s faithfulness if we don’t experience need, and His meeting of the need is such that we recognize that He has been faithful, rather than the meeting of the need being just chance? How can we understand that it is faithfulness, and not subservience, that causes God to give to us unless He has the right and ability to decline to give something that ultimately wouldn’t be a good idea?

            The wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives is not limited to supernatural speech. In fact, that is often the least effective way God communicates. One of the oft-repeated “rules” given to writers to improve their writing is “show, don’t tell.” When I was studying to become a teacher, I was told that students remember perhaps half of what they see, and less than half of what they’re told. Habits tend to take as long as 21 days to build, but less than three to break. It should not surprise us, then, that God doesn’t just tell us things, and therefore, we should be prepared for experiences with God that are more experiential than verbal.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

"Especially to those who belong to the family of believers."

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. (Gal 6:10)   “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.   By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35)           Joshua grinned when he saw Rex standing by the door, studying something on the ground. "Hey, man! Are we ready to do this thing?"          Rex looked up. "Josh, I can't do it. We're still best buds, but I can't stand your fiancée."           I've met "Rex" many times. I've been Rex. Joshua (Jesus) loves the Church. He's not a fool. He knows the Church is far from perfect, but she is His chosen bride. The Rexes of this world, who think themselves His friend, turn away from her. "You don't need the Church to...
Post a Comment
Read more

Ssssssubmmissssssionnn

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ . (Ephesians 5:21)             "Ssssssubmmisssssssionnn." Can't you just hear the serpent hissing this most horrible of words? If you listen to the serpent or the world, submission means groveling, allowing yourself to be abused, denying yourself your own humanity. Nothing could be worse than submission, could it?             Submission has never been a problem for me, as long as things are going the way I want them to. The rest of the time? Well, let's just say that while I don't know how to fight physically, I don't know how to not fight mentally. One of the fights I've been having with myself for years is about submission.             My first breakthrough took place on a trip to a bookstore. As I walked into the store, my thoughts were very clear. 1) I was goi...
Post a Comment
Read more

Shark Fins, Triple Dog Dares, Heroes, Villains and Sidekicks

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)            There's a scene in Jaws in which someone sees a shark fin and starts a panic. As   all the swimmers scramble to shore, boats surround the fin, which falls over to reveal two kids. With several guns pointed at them, one of the kids points at the other. The message is clear: it was his idea. In Christmas Story, there's a scene in which one kid "triple dog dares" another to do something stupid. Since it's a triple dog dare, well, what choice does the boy have? There doesn't seem to be any end to the trouble that peer pressure can cause. ...
Post a Comment
Read more