James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.
I was having trouble with my refrigerator a while back. I pulled out the owner’s manual, but in the troubleshooting section I did not find much help. Then I went online to see what help was out there. What hit first was appliance repair shops saying you need to schedule a technician to come out and assess the issue and provide quality service. That seemed expensive. Then I went to see if there were any ‘do-it-yourself’ videos I could watch and see what I could do. I’m fairly handy and I love a good challenge. So, I went for it. It was a bit trying but was able to accomplish the fix! YES! And it worked… for about 2 weeks. So, I did it again…and then another week and did it again. Something was not right. Well, both my wife and daughter started looking deeper and found massive amounts of information on this very issue and how this was a major flaw with this brand of refrigerator. I was getting good at the fix but that did not seem wise. After some more digging and yes prayer, we chose a different brand of refrigerator. Still a bit apprehensive about our choice, we received confirmation when the delivery guy was installing the new fridge. He mentioned we had chosen a great new appliance and that every day he hauls away many of my old brand of fridge! We should have sought a bit more wisdom when we purchased that old brand. It’s a good thing to seek wisdom.
With so much information and so many influencers out there these days, it is difficult to discern and make wise choices. Decisions on what to purchase, how to vote, how to respond, what to think. As well, we are bombarded with targeted marketing trying to influence us. So, how do we navigate in these rough waters of information? In the Bible verses above we are encouraged to ask God. To turn to Him to help us make wise choices. Much of that wisdom is found in the Bible.
Proverbs 9:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
The beginning of wisdom is found in a reverent respectful trepidation of God. It’s when we choose to be in awe and wonder and even a bit of fear as we look to God as our highest influence, listening to His will and way, and seeking align life to it.
God also encourages us to work at gaining wisdom through instruction and humility.
Proverbs 19:20 Listen to advice and accept instruction,that you may gain wisdom in the future.
Proverbs 11:2 When pride comes, then comes disgrace,but with the humble is wisdom.
Proverbs 12:15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.
Proverbs 18:2 A fool takes no pleasure in understanding,but only in expressing his opinion.
Wisdom is making the effort to gain knowledge and insight. Then, at some point, deciding. We need to do the hard work of fact checking and investigation. Seeking wisdom is rolling up our sleeves and doing some research. Let’s be diligent to seek understanding, and yes, to seek God. He is good at leading us to wisdom.
Attending church can expand our understanding of God and life. If you do not already have a church you attend, we would like to invite you to view or visit Neighborhood Church. We are a fun, welcoming church that loves God and seeks to live life His way. Each Sunday we study the Bible and have a great time together. We would love for you to join us. Our website has all the information you need for times and locations of all our gatherings. You can also find us online at neighborhoodchurch.com. As well, if you would like to view any of our past worship gatherings or videos, visit our YouTube channel, or just search Neighborhood Church Cypress or Neighborhood Church Los Alamitos on their YouTube site.
Seeking wisdom along with you,
Messages From Mike 
