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
Each of us wants to live a life of purpose, of real meaning. But many of us have a knack for complicating the simplest things. We treat the Christian life like a locked room we have to pick our way into, when the door has been standing open all along.
Here’s the simple truth: getting help from God when things feel out of control is immediately available to every believer in Christ. James, who was Jesus’ own half brother, puts it plainly: “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.”
I love the way Eugene Peterson paraphrases that verse in The Message: “If you don’t know what you’re doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You’ll get his help and won’t be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought.”
Sit with that for a moment, because it dismantles so much of what we assume about God. Ask God. He loves to help. You’ll get His help. And you won’t be made to feel stupid for asking. So many of us picture God tapping His foot, impatient and a little annoyed that we’ve come to Him yet again with the same confusion. That is not the God of the Bible. He gives “liberally and without reproach.”
Notice those two words, because they answer the two fears that keep us from asking. “Liberally” means generously, without stinginess, holding nothing back. He is not rationing His wisdom to you by the teaspoon. And “without reproach” means without scolding, without the lecture, without the sigh. He doesn’t throw your past failures in your face when you come looking for direction.
Why does God give like that? Because He has given us direct access to Himself through prayer. And through His Word, He reveals His priority for each of us, a priority that will bring purpose to life. We are not left to guess our way forward in the dark. The King gives wisdom to His citizens when they simply ask.
So, what are you trying to figure out on your own today? What decision, what tangle, what burden have you been carrying as though the outcome rested entirely on your own cleverness? You don’t have to live that way. The help you need is a prayer away, and the God you’re praying to actually loves to give it.
Stop picking the lock. The door is open. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought, and let the God who gives generously put your life back in order.
GOD GIVES WISDOM GENEROUSLY AND WITHOUT SCOLDING. STOP FIGURING IT OUT ALONE AND ASK HIM, HE LOVES TO HELP.
