By: Pastor Jarren Rogers

“All the wisdom of the world is childish foolishness in comparison with the acknowledgment of Christ.” – Martin Luther

You may have seen this played out in a movie, a T.V. show, or maybe a commercial. It looks a little different each time but the story is the same:

A man pulls on his hiking boots and loads up his backpack, heading out in search of wisdom. He’s heard rumors of the wise man that lives in the mountain, the guru who has knowledge that no human possesses. So, the man goes on an expedition. Through steep, treacherous paths and over snowy mountains, the traveler seeks an answer to his solitary question that he feels only the wise man can resolve.

Sometimes, we feel like that traveler. We find ourselves in a time of crisis, a time where we need answers or guidance. We simply don’t know what to do.

When these times of crisis hit, where do you go for wisdom?

Sometimes our “wise man in the mountains” is ourselves. We look to our knowledge and our experience for discernment in our situation. Other times we look to our friends and families for wisdom. We ask them, “What do you think I should do?” and we take their response as Truth. But look at what God has to say about this.

“The wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight” (1 Corinthians 3:19).

Any wisdom that you gain from the world is considered foolishness to God. Whenever we look to any other source but Him it impossible to gain true wisdom. Instead:

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you” (James 1:5).

God is not stingy with His wisdom. In fact, according to James, He gives generously! Why would you look for wisdom in the world when the Creator of the universe wants to give you wisdom?

I remember, as a child, I would be struggling with something; my homework, opening a jar, or fixing my bike; and I would get so frustrated that I give up. But then one of my parents would come in. Sensing my aggravation, they would ask me what’s wrong. I would tell them, and then, what seemed like a big problem to me, was no problem to them. They’d easily fix my bike, open the jar, or help me with my homework. I’d say, “Why didn’t you help me in the first place?” And they would respond, “All you had to do was ask.”

The same is true for each of us. Do you need wisdom? All you need to do is ask.

Parents: Explain to your children the different places that they can try to gain wisdom. Help them understand that the only place that we can gain to true wisdom is from God, and He gives it freely to those who ask.