Wisdom, Where Does it Come From?

I need wisdom.  I need lots of wisdom because I have a family and a job and people who ask me for advice.  I'm not currently serving as a pastor, but I may again someday.  I need wisdom.  I look first to the place that holds the key to wisdom, the scriptures and I read in James: If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach. 1:5.  That sounds good, but knowing that you can't read a text without a context, I read the passages before and after, and I find out it's about suffering.  It hits me, maybe we go through hard times because it makes us patient, faithful and wise.  After all, thinking of the wisest people I know, most of them have struggled and went through hard times.  I need wisdom, and for that I need to suffer.  I have suffered some, lost my parents to cancer young, had struggles with my health with my GERD and reflux, I haven't always had the best time in ministry.  I think I have struggled some, and I know there are more coming.

I continue to look, and I look to Proverbs, and the second chapter tells me to incline my ear, to listen to wisdom and value wisdom.  To seek it from God, to listen to His word, to pick my company carefully and be around those who are wise.  Avoid the foolish, which is not easy today.  You can't even turn on the TV without seeing and hearing foolish men.  I remember the story of Rehoboam who refused the counsel of the wiser, older and more mature advisers and listened to his friends and split the kingdom in two.  I am young enough to still make bad choices, I must remember to heed wise counsel from wise men.

So, here is my plan.  First, find the wisdom and the knowledge in the trials and the suffering.  Grow and understand that bad things bring growth.  Second, seek after wisdom, read and study and learn from God's word and from those teaching God's word.  Lastly, make time with wiser, older and Godly men who can impart on me wisdom.  Avoid those who are foolish and who promote foolishness.  Avoid that which would cause me to act foolish and cling to wisdom.  It's not always easy, sometimes the foolishness seems like fun, but I know I need wisdom.  I need wisdom like I need air, so you can pray for me to find it and cling too it and grow.