Journey through James: James 1:5
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.. — James 1:5
James just wrote that we need to consider it all joy when we face various kinds of trials. How can we have this kind of mindset? The implication from James here is that if we are not considering our trials as on opportunity for joy and growth, we lack wisdom. It is not natural to seek joy in trials; however, wise people learn and grow through trials.
Thankfully, James doesn’t just tell us that we are acting like fools when we don’t find joy in trials. He tells us that if we lack the necessary wisdom, we should ask God. God is the source of wisdom; therefore, if we want to grow in wisdom, we need to ask Him.
Not only does James encourage us to ask for wisdom, he tells us that God gives both generously and without reproach. God is generous when people seek Him for wisdom. He is the only source for true wisdom. However, James said that God also gives without reproach. In other words, God will not rebuke you or insult you for asking Him. Why would James add this in? James went from skeptic to believer. James didn’t believe in Jesus when he was younger. They were somewhat dismissive of Jesus in John 7. However, when James humbly came to God and asked for wisdom, God did not rebuke or dismiss him. James was deserving of reproach, just as you and I are deserving of reproach. However, God does not rebuke those who truly seek Him. God is gracious and generous. James knew first-hand how he had treated Jesus during His life here on earth. If God treated us as we deserved, none of us would receive wisdom from Him; none of us would receive grace.
I had often overlooked the fact that God gives without reproach. I had read it many times and knew that I needed to seek God for wisdom. However, I did not take time to give thanks that God gives this without reproach. God does not go out of His way to belittle or rebuke me when I seek Him for wisdom. He doesn’t begrudgingly give me a little wisdom while reminding me of how much I messed up. He does not insult me and tell me how I should have already known better. We will face trials of various kinds. These trials are not pointless; they are meant to help us grow. When we are tempted to complain about our trials, we need to ask God for wisdom. If we have complained or handled our trials poorly, we need to stop and ask God for wisdom. Sometimes, we think we have already messed up too much and that if we stop to ask for God’s help, He is just going rebuke us and leave us on our own. God disciplines us as His children, but He will not neglect us when we come to Him for help. Ask.
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