Dear Church,

Like me, I’m sure some of you begin certain Mondays with clarity, and others with questions and fogginess. Maybe it’s the email you’re not sure how to respond to. Maybe it’s medical news that has left you stunned and unsure of what comes next. Maybe it’s spiritual questions that surfaced after a hard Sunday. Or family tensions that don’t have easy solutions.

Yesterday, James reminded us that “every good and perfect gift is from above” (James 1:16). One of those good and perfect gifts is God’s wisdom. James writes:

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” — James 1:5

James doesn’t say that you lack wisdom as though it were unusual. He assumes you do, because trials reveal our limitations: We don’t see the whole picture. We can’t predict outcomes. We also cannot rely solely on experience.

So, the first step is humility: “Lord, I don’t know what to do, but You do.”  James describes God as a Father who “gives generously to all without reproach.”  That means: God doesn’t shame you for asking. He doesn’t scold you for not knowing. He doesn’t compare you to someone “wiser.”

Then comes the promise: “It will be given.” This is not vague hope. It is a certainty.  God may not give the answer you expected, but He will give the wisdom you need.  Wisdom to wait, wisdom to discern motives, wisdom to speak…. and much more.

Be encouraged,
Mathews