We have access to “wisdom from above” because we have within us the Spirit from above.
I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him.
If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given to you.
God gives us, not just wisdom from above, but also the Holy Spirit, who dwells within each Christian. The Holy Spirit reveals divine wisdom to us in a variety of ways. The Spirit grants wisdom through Scripture. The Spirit helps us to know Christ, who is the embodiment of divine wisdom. The Spirit also gives gifts of wisdom to guide us in the daily challenges of work and life. We have access to “wisdom from above” because we have within us the Spirit from above.
If we’re going to live well, if we’re going to thrive at home, at work, and in the community, we need God’s wisdom. Wisdom from above isn’t only for personal, “spiritual” matters. It informs and transforms every part of life.
How can we get such wisdom? Does it come only through years and years of experience? Do we get it from teachers and mentors? Can you find it in a book? Or on the internet? If you want wisdom from above, what should you do?
James offers a simple answer to that question: “If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you” (James 1:5). Now that’s encouraging! Wisdom from above is God’s wisdom. James says that if we ask, God will give wisdom to us, and not just moderately, but “generously.”
Asking God for wisdom is, of course, an exercise in prayer. In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he exemplifies praying in this way: “I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him” (Ephesians 1:17). In this instance, Paul is not praying for wisdom for himself, but for the recipients of his letter. That he prays this way underscores the truth that God is the source of and the giver of wisdom from above.
Notice, however, that Paul doesn’t ask only for wisdom. Rather, he prays that the readers of his letter might receive “a spirit of wisdom and revelation” (emphasis added). Other translations prefer “the Spirit of wisdom and revelation” (NIV, ESV). The revelation comes only from the Holy Spirit, of course. This fact supports “the Spirit” as the best translation.
Paul’s prayer assumes that the Spirit gives, not only revelation but also divine wisdom. This reflects what we see elsewhere in Scripture. Isaiah 11:2, for example, prophesies about Christ, the messianic “branch,” that “the Spirit of the LORD shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding.” In 1 Corinthians 12:8, the Spirit gives “the utterance of wisdom.”
How does the Spirit grant such wisdom? Scripture, of course, embodies spiritual wisdom, teaching us God’s truth and revealing God’s own wisdom. As we study the Word of God, the same Spirit who inspired the biblical writers will inspire us to understand and receive divine wisdom. Moreover, Scripture reveals that Jesus Christ is the embodiment of God’s wisdom. According to 1 Corinthians 1:24, Christ is “the power of God and the wisdom of God.” Colossians 2:3 adds that in Christ “are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Thus, as Scripture reveals Christ to us, the Spirit helps us know him and his wisdom.
The Holy Spirit can also reveal wisdom from above when we seek divine guidance for the challenges of daily life. The “utterance of wisdom” in 1 Corinthians 12:8, for example, addresses a particular need of a particular congregation at a particular time. Gifts of practical wisdom come, as James writes, from the God who gives wisdom “generously and ungrudgingly” if we ask (James 1:5). Once again, it’s important to note that these spiritual gifts of wisdom are not only for worship services or private life. They can guide us in all we do, whether we’re at work or at play, whether we’re in church or in class.
We have seen that God gives us, not just wisdom from above, but also the Holy Spirit, who dwells within each Christian. The Holy Spirit reveals divine wisdom to us in a variety of ways. The Spirit grants wisdom through Scripture. The Spirit helps us to know Christ, who is the embodiment of divine wisdom. The Spirit also gives gifts of wisdom to guide us in the daily challenges of work and life. We have access to “wisdom from above” because we have within us the “Spirit from above.”
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