If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does (James 1:5-7).
Here is a clear promise that those who ask in faith for wisdom will be rewarded. But it must be in faith. If we hesitate or vacillate, we will be disappointed.
Experience suggests that when the Lord does grant wisdom, he grants it in small doses. It is a rare thing for anyone to be wise all the time.
Yet is there any reason why wisdom should not characterise the life of the believer? Even though there may be times when we act unwisely, should not wisdom generally be present? God does not intend us to live in continual defeat and disgrace: quite the opposite.
If we ask for wisdom, we receive it. Progressively, perhaps, but it is still given.
We should aim for a life-style which reflects it.
So wise people are those who live lives of purity, peace, submission, consideration, mercy, sincerity and goodness. Such wisdom is, as the Proverb writer puts it, worth more than rubies (Proverbs 8:11).
To read more on this topic see Living in the Image of God, Barry Chant (Miranda: Tabor, 2012 available in eBook and Paperback) from which this edited extract is taken.