How can we live a more God-honoring life this year?
This is a question I believe we should all ask ourselves. The key, I believe, is having the mind of Christ, or utilizing God’s wisdom in all elements of our lives. That raises another double-edged question: What can we do and what will we do to attain the mind of Christ?
In II Chronicles chapter 1, we see that, through a series of events, the Mosaic tabernacle has been brought to the small town of Gibeon. And here a brazen altar is set up so that Solomon and the people may offer up 1,000 burnt offerings to God. These sacrifices delight God.
Later that night, God appears to Solomon and makes a great offer to him: “Ask what I shall give thee.” Can you imagine such a scene? Solomon, certainly humbled by being in the presence of Almighty God, is given the opportunity to ask for anything at all from the One who holds all in His hands.
And what did Solomon ask of God? Verse 10 reveals his reply: “Now give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people; for who can judge this great people of Yours” (NKJV)?
This request is pleasing to God. He is gladdened that Solomon has not asked for great wealth or a long life, choosing instead to remember his responsibility to the people. And God replies in verse 12, “Wisdom and knowledge are granted to you; and I will give you riches and wealth and honor, such as none of the kings have had who were before you, nor shall any after you have the like.”
Later we see that Solomon goes on to build the Temple where the Ark of the Covenant is kept. Solomon achieves many great things as king and he becomes exceedingly wise and wealthy, through God’s blessing.
Hebrews 13:8 says: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” God’s wisdom is real and it is accessible to you and me.
You see, God’s wisdom, power and grace are eternal. His attributes are unending fountains that He wants His followers to utilize in every area of life. As the new year dawns, I hope this truth encourages you and sets your heart afire to live more fully in Him.
Let’s spend a moment investigating how we can better employ God’s wisdom into our lives in this coming year, as we touch on Five Key Truths About Godly Wisdom.
1. Wisdom begets obedience. Jonathan Edwards said, “Resolution One: I will live for God. Resolution Two: If no one else does, I still will.” God calls us to be obedient to His call even when others seem not to care. We understand His calling and His will through Bible study, prayer and communion with Him. To attain godly wisdom, we must be daily heeding His will and living out loud for Christ.
2. Wisdom begets humility. Andrew Murray said, “The only humility that is really ours is not that which we try to show before God in prayer, but that which we carry with us in our daily conduct.” Humility comes when we are daily yielded to Christ and prayerfully living in subservience to Him. If we desire a family that follows Christ, we must live humbly and honorably. Our family will see God’s wisdom and truth in us and that is a powerful, affecting thing.
3. Wisdom begets holiness. Charles Spurgeon stated, “I believe the holier a man becomes, the more he mourns over the unholiness which remains in him.” Ephesians 2:10 encourages us to live beyond our personal limitations. It reads: “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Through His wisdom, we gain a desire for holiness.
4. Wisdom begets selflessness. Solomon asked for wisdom because he wanted to lead the people in ways that were pleasing to God. We see a lot of bad theology on the airways today and people become convinced they should ask God for riches. We can learn a lot from Solomon’s prayer. It was selfless and had others as its theme — and, most importantly, this unselfish prayer pleased God.
5. Wisdom begets joy. Have you ever known a Christian who is physically or emotionally suffering and yet they embody a powerful joy? I have. These folks were wise, obedient servants of Christ who allowed His love and grace to be made manifest in their lives, even in times of distress. When we are living as servants of Christ, we can exemplify unspeakable joy that draws people to Him. That’s the testimony I want for myself.
It’s a new year and I am praying that I will be a more obedient, joyful and willing servant of Christ. I want to see His blessings pour over my family, this ministry and you and yours.
As you know, God has laid it on my heart to continue planting churches and training pastors as we carry out our goal of Making One Million Disciples by 2025. You are such an encouragement to me because of your prayers and dear friendship. In this new year, let’s carry on together, preaching the Resurrected Christ to those who need Him.
Your friend in Christ,
Jonathan Falwell