The Gifts Part 3
Words of Wisdom and Words of Knowledge continued...
Since the gift of the word of wisdom is first on the list, we will begin with it, and discover what this gift does not entail.
The first thing that the gift of the word of wisdom is not is a source of help or a source of wisdom concerning earthly issues or daily life. Having the gift of the word of wisdom will not help you better plan for your retirement, it will not help you better manage your finances, nor will it help you better remember your spouse’s or your children’s birthdays.
We cannot confuse natural wisdom, or earthly reason with a spiritual gift, nor can we hope to receive a certain spiritual gift to help us in our earthly pursuits. Are there some people who are better at planning for their retirement than others? Are there some people that are better at managing their finances than others? The answer to both questions is a hearty yes, but this has to do with natural wisdom rather than the supernatural gift of the word of wisdom.
If we are lacking in wisdom however, and we are wise enough to realize that we are lacking in it, the Word tells us that we can ask for wisdom of God and He will give it to us. Once again receiving general wisdom from God, and receiving the gift of the word of wisdom are two different things, and we cannot blend the two together just because it might seem simpler.
James 1:5-6, “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.”
So if we are lacking wisdom in any particular area of our lives, and we realize that we are lacking it, biblically there is a remedy, that of asking God for wisdom, in faith, with no doubting, and He will give liberally and without reproach.
God is glad when we come before Him in faith and ask Him for wisdom, it brings joy to His heart to see His children desire to be wiser in certain areas of their lives, and He gives the desired wisdom without reproach, as long as we ask it in faith.
One of the areas that I was personally lacking wisdom in was managing my time. No matter how early I would wake up, or how late I would go to bed, there were still certain things I had planned to do that day, that never seemed to get done.
I realized I needed wisdom in this area, and as the word instructs, I asked God for wisdom in faith, and in His gracious goodness He gave me the wisdom I was requesting in this particular area. One day as I was in prayer, I realized suddenly that little things were consuming my time, and at least for me it was an epiphany. There was no drastic change in the way I approached my day, because seemingly no drastic change was required, but little things like turning off my telephone when I sit down to write, only checking my e-mails once a day, having an allotted time of no more than fifteen minutes to peruse the news in the morning after my prayers, added up to enough time that I now regularly finish doing everything I had purposed for that particular day.
Because of this wisdom, and I realize that for some of you it is evident and obvious but for me it was not, I’ve been able to post something every day for the better part of the past two hundred days.
As I said, in retrospect it seems obvious enough, but at the time, I didn’t realize just how many hours of the day I wasted with distractions, and how difficult it was to get my train of thought going again once an interruption occurred.
Whatever area of our lives we are lacking in, whatever area of our lives we need wisdom in, we need only ask it of God in faith, and He will give it to us, however this is not the gift of the word of wisdom which the Holy Spirit imparts.
The gift of the word of wisdom is not a general gift, it is not for everyone and this is why Paul the Apostle is quick to point out that ‘to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge trough the same Spirit’. So while the wisdom of which the gospel according to James speaks of is for all who ask it in faith, the gift of the word of wisdom is something distributed by the Holy Spirit as He sees fit.
There is an example in the Bible of one who asked God for wisdom, and because he asked for wisdom it was granted to him. I speak of course of Solomon, the man of whom God said would possess wisdom and knowledge as none of the kings that had come before him, nor would any after him have the like.
2 Chronicles 1:8-12, “And Solomon said to God: ‘You have shown great mercy to David my father, and have made me king in his place. Now, O Lord God, let Your promise to David my father be established, for You have made me king over a people like the dust of the earth in multitude. Now give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people; for who can judge this great people of Yours?’ And God said to Solomon: ‘Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked riches or wealth or honor or the life or your enemies, nor have you asked long life – but have asked wisdom and knowledge for yourself, that you may judge My people over whom I have made you king – wisdom and knowledge are granted to you; and I will give you riches and wealth and honor, such as none of the kings have had who have been before you, nor shall any after you have the like.”
With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.
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