“For this reason also, since the day we heard this, we haven’t stopped praying for you. We are asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, so that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God,” Colossians 1:9-10 CSB https://bible.com/bible/1713/col.1.9-10.CSB
So many want wisdom. It is a top prayer request. What is the purpose of our asking for wisdom? It is for making the best decisions that keep us from becoming hurt relationally or financially. This is not the wisdom from God. This is us being selfish again and not making God our first love or highest priority. The wisdom from God Paul describes in this passage has three purposes. It is first for making us walk worthy of the Lord. Wisdom is to make us obedient and holy. It is for helping us make life choices that reflect the moral purity of God. Can anyone filled with God’s wisdom support abortion or gender mutilation? Wisdom helps us know God’s will to reflect God’s character better in the world. Second, wisdom is to help us bear fruit for eternity by working at those things that are eternal. The Great Commission is the mission of every Christian. Our vocation funds our occupation and is the ‘island,’ along with our neighborhoods, where we seek and save the lost. The wise person is making disciples, for that is God’s will for His people, the reason we are on earth and not swept immediately into heaven. Finally, wisdom is for helping us understand God better. Wisdom is given to those reading, studying, and discussing the word of God among the people of God for better worshipping, obeying, and serving God. The Scriptures begin our eternal study of understanding God’s inexhaustible character and nature. We grow in that understanding as we seek Him, and He provides us wisdom for knowing Him. When we want greater obedience, more fruit, and a deeper relationship with God, we are in the right place to ask for wisdom and receive this gift from God. Do you really want wisdom?
