Seeking Wisdom

Wisdom.  The story goes that a young man approached an old man and asked him, “How did you become so wise?”  The old man replied, “By making good decisions.”  The young man then asked, “How did you learn to make good decisions?”  The old man then answered, “By making bad decisions.”  Ugh.

If only there was a simpler way to learn some of the tough lessons of life.  I watched my older daugher learn to walk by falling down.  She also learned the hard way that a stove burner is still hot after the pan is removed.  I learned how to bake by making lots of things that didn’t turn out right the first time (my first attempt at syrup for popcorn balls started out in a frying pan — OOPS!).  Thankfully, I can tell you that none of my baking mishaps ever involved the fire department or an urgent need to repaint the kitchen.

I also discovered that when I tried to figure things out on my own it could take a long time.  Because of my stubbornness, I had to repeat mistakes that other people made and knew how to avoid.  Some of the easier lessons I learned happened when I was willing to ask for help.  This can be more easily said than done.  Some workplace cultures perceive asking for help as a weakness.  It can make some people think you are indecisive or insecure.  The world often twists things around to make life more complicated than it was ever meant to be.

How wonderful it is that we have a Heavenly Father who longs to hear our questions!  He is waiting to help us — without finding fault.  God doesn’t expect me to be perfect or to have all the answers.  If He did, there would be no need for Him to tell me that I could ask for wisdom.  I’m not supposed to have all of the answers!  God expects me to come to him for wisdom and knowledge.  He wants to be a part of my life.  God won’t force Himself into your life, though.  You have to invite Him.

If you haven’t tried asking God for wisdom, I challenge you to give it a try today.  It will be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.