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If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. James 1:5-6  

  

Often, the word wisdom brings images to mind of men with long, grey beards who have lived a long time and have a lot of advice to impart. According to James 1:5, however, anyone can receive wisdom by seeking God in faith. Similarly, Proverbs 2:3 says, “yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.” The common thread is that we must humble ourselves and call out to God for help.  

I have experienced the power of praying for wisdom in my own life, and how God has been faithful to direct my steps. He has helped me in difficult situations or conversations that I felt inadequate to handle on my own, but the Holy Spirit provided the right words or peace to know what to do. Specifically, one of the most stand-out instances that comes to mind of how God can change our hearts through praying for wisdom comes out of one of the darkest times in my life. 

Many people joke about having a midlife crisis, but you don’t frequently hear people mention a quarter-life crisis. I, for one, will tell you that I had a major quarter-life crisis at age 23, and that season of my life (as well as the years leading directly to it) is one of the main reasons you will never hear me say, “oh I wish I could go back to my twenties.” My journey after high school did not go at all how I had originally planned it. By age 23, I was stuck in a rut of comparison and discontentment, and my thoughts were consumed by the negativity that I must be a failure and that other people were judging me because I hadn’t reached many of the milestones that my peers in the same age-group were reaching: finishing college, starting a career, finding a spouse, etc.  

As the saying goes, hindsight is twenty-twenty, and I can look back on those years now and see how God’s hand was guiding me each step of the way, but I was struggling to zoom out of my desires enough to get the proper perspective. James 1:6 says, “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.” I was asking God for “wisdom, guidance, and direction” and at the same time, looking around at the milestones being experienced by people my age and doubting that my life had any purpose. My emotions were turbulent like the waves; I constantly struggled with anxiety and indecisiveness. But, I kept praying...thinking what would happen is that God would reveal the steps toward achieving my “big dreams” eventually... when God knew what I really needed was for my heart and mindset to shift in a major way.   

During this season, God’s grace and providence in my life were so evident and sweet. I started realizing that the notes I took while studying the Bible aligned with sermon notes from Sundays and encouraging messages people were sending me. After a time of this happening over and over, I remember thinking, “Okay, I hear you, God!” The overwhelming message was “bloom where you’re planted.” I had SO much peace, finally. It was as if I had been holding my breath for five years trying to fit into this idea of success that I had in my head, and suddenly, I could release that weight and truly rest in the fact that God knew what He was doing all along. I didn’t need to compare my life to others; I needed to embrace the life God had given me and love the people around me well. So many beautiful opportunities have entered my life since that season that I wouldn’t have been open to had God not taken the time to break down my preconceived ideas and shape them with His love and truth. There is peace that comes with learning that when we pray fervently for wisdom, God does hear, and He is a good Father who gives generously to His children (Matthew 7:11).