Seeing Your Life From God’s Perspective

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

“If any of you,” is James’ gracious way of saying, “because all of you lack wisdom.” James just taught us that we are brought to maturity via God’s use of trials in our life and that we would ultimately “lack nothing.” Now he points out the deficiency that will cost us the most, namely, a severe shortage of wisdom. James’ statement falls neatly into a standard Problem-Solution-Benefit model used in many a sales presentation over the years. I’ll use it here to sell you on God’s solution to your wisdom problem.

Problem

Neither you nor I possess the ability to process all that life is throwing at us and make choices that will best serve God’s purposes for us. Life moves too fast and is too complex—too unpredictable for us to make good choices using only our own wisdom. Even thorough reflection and calling on the best of human wisdom will not produce the outlook God desires His called-out people to demonstrate in their priorities and decisions. You’ve heard many definitions for wisdom. The one that has stuck with me is: the ability to see life from God’s perspective.

Solution

Deficiency is, in most cases, remedied through intense effort, aggressive acquisition, discipline, research, resourcefulness, or collaboration. None of the above can remedy a lack of wisdom. The ability to see life from God’s perspective is a gift from God. No amount of study can produce it, consultants can’t provide it, and it can’t be purchased for any price. Ask God! This is the imperative command of scripture to any who desire to view life from God’s perspective.

Benefit

God responds to our request for wisdom with a liberal dose of the counsel and the insight into our life circumstances and decisions that is guaranteed to bring about the outcomes He desires. He helps us to comprehend His overall plan for our lives, for humanity, and even all human history. God lifts us above the noise and clutter of our daily cares to see our lives and our circumstances within the scope of eternity and the ramifications of our decisions in the scope of all humanity. God created mankind and is moving human history toward an end that is more magnificent than we are able to imagine. He wants you and I to see what we are going through in light of all this. What a privilege!

As state leaders you must realize that you have a serious problem—you lack wisdom. Will you humbly call upon God to shake you from reliance upon your own wisdom or the worldly wisdom so persuasively presented to you daily? Will you simply ask for the wisdom that is from above?