His Will Over Yours

James 1:5-8

5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.6 But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind.7 For that person ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord,8 being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Ask Without Fear

Most of us have heard a variation of the saying If you do not ask for help, no one will know what you are in need of. For some, it may have been “closed mouths don’t get fed,” and for others, “don’t expect what you didn’t ask for.” It’s humorous to me that many more people in America are not Christian when much of our core customs, principles, morals, sayings, and values are rooted in biblical foundations. Here, James is essentially telling us something we might have heard before. If we lack wisdom, we should ask God for it. Except he mentions an extra caveat. When we ask, we must ask in faith, not doubting God’s willingness to help.

In my Bible study, I wrestled with these verses because it felt like I was stumbling into a paradox. The verses say that if any of us lack wisdom, that is, the wisdom to guide us through a decision or circumstance, we should ask our kind God, who gives generously without rebuke or blame. What I love about this verse is that it reassures us that the Lord will not judge us for our requests, and not just that, He does not plan to send us away because of them. Many of us carry the misconception that we should only go to God with our Sunday’s best, that is, our most righteous and sanctified thoughts, ideas, requests, and confessions. Yet here James reminds us of something crucial. That we are invited to be honest with God, especially when we are seeking His wisdom and direction. God invites us to be clear with Him, to be comfortable and transparent enough even to say, “Lord, I do not want to do this. I would do anything else other than this. I hate this plan, and I will not be happy doing it.” God is not expecting us to put up a facade or act like we are happy doing the things we are not. There are no brownie points gained when we keep our true feelings away from Him. Regardless of what we say to Him by mouth, God sees and knows our deepest thoughts and feelings. If we are looking to deepen our relationship with Him, it will require intimacy, faith, and trust. I want you all to remember that He is always inviting you to be honest with Him, as you would with spouses, friends, and loved ones.

Nothing Stays Hidden

I love how David once put it in Psalm 139, where he wrote:

1 O Lord, You have searched me and known me. 2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; You understand my thought from afar. 3 You scrutinize my path and my lying down, and are intimately acquainted with all my ways. 4 Even before there is a word on my tongue, behold, O Lord, You know it all. 5 You have enclosed me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is too high, I cannot attain to it. 7 Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? 8 If I ascend to heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. 9 If I take the wings of the dawn, if I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, 10 even there Your hand will lead me, and Your right hand will lay hold of me. 11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, and the light around me will be night,” 12 even the darkness is not dark to You, and the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You. 13 For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. 14 I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well. 15 My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in Your book were all written the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them. 17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! 18 If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand. When I awake, I am still with You. 19 O that You would slay the wicked, O God; depart from me, therefore, men of bloodshed. 20 For they speak against You wickedly, and Your enemies take Your name in vain. 21 Do I not hate those who hate You, O Lord? And do I not loathe those who rise up against You? 22 I hate them with the utmost hatred; they have become my enemies. 23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxious thoughts; 24 and see if there be any hurtful way in me, and lead me in the everlasting way. [NASB1995]

What a beautiful posture to have, to say search me, Lord, to invite God to look deep into your heart to see the uglies, anxieties, hatred, and pain. How wise of David to then ask God to lead him in the way of eternal life. How courageous of David to invite the Lord to reveal all that is within him. David recognizes that because God formed his innermost parts, God already knows what is within him, yet that did not prevent him from saying, “Look further.” I love the way David says, “How far could I go to flee from Your presence?” Surely not far enough for God to stop seeing what is within us. How much more than we imagine must our God love us, that He would be willing to know, see, and hear everything within us and still love us fully?

Before I move on, I want to give you a sweet grace point. I do not believe the Lord is as surprised as we think He is when we do not understand His plans or hope for another way. God knows that we do not have the eyes of sovereignty or omnipotence. He knows we can not see from beginning to end. God knows that we do not know what is hidden in the fine print of His perfect plans. As David reminds us in verse 11, there will be things that overwhelm us, but nothing is beyond God’s understanding. There will be times when we may be afraid to be honest with God because it feels like we are being double-minded or insecure about what we are asking for. And to be honest, there may be moments when double-mindedness truly is the posture of our hearts. However, there will also be times when, from the outside, our questions may look like doubt, when in reality we need more of Him to fill the areas of our fear and lack of wisdom. I say this to emphasize the significance of honesty in our relationship with God. We should absolutely have reverence and should never curse or disrespect our Father in Heaven. Seeking wisdom, however, even when it comes from fear, lack of faith, or uncertainty, should not be reproached by ourselves before going to and surrendering it to Him. Sis, God loves the broken and the beautiful. There is nothing that we have to hide from our Father. When we attempt to hide ourselves from God, we risk growing distant from the perfecter of our salvation. God does not need us to come to Him in perfection. Most often, He is drawn to our brokenness because that is where His healing power is revealed. Go to Him in honesty and truth, affirmed that before there is even a word on your tongue, God knows all that is on your heart. Be assured that because He knows your heart, He looks past the imperfections of your question and examines first the posture of your heart. You do not have to waste your worry on putting it together eloquently, perfectly, and unblemished because your Father already knows whether you are asking in faith or not before you have the words to say it.

The Not-So Paradoxical Paradox

To return to the paradox I mentioned earlier, where I began to feel perplexed, was verse 6. James says that if we are to ask, we must ask for wisdom in faith, for the one who doubts is like a billowing surge of the sea, blown about and tossed by the wind.  I know that, at first glance, it could seem like James is simply talking about believing in God; after all, when I first read these verses, that is what I assumed he meant. So it makes sense why that is where the tension began for me.

What does this mean for those who are asking God for wisdom while carrying doubt in their hearts? What if trauma has caused them to doubt? What if disappointment has caused them to doubt? What if their doubt is the very reason they are going to God, asking Him for wisdom to restore and refill their faith? James has just told us that if any of us lack wisdom to guide us through a circumstance, we should ask our kind God, who gives generously without rebuke or blame. What if the wisdom we need is tangled up in a lack of faith that needs to be restored, then? When James says we must ask in faith without doubting, we could make many assumptions about what it is that he means. Is he talking about doubting God’s existence? His delivery? His power to make it happen? All of these matters are important. And sis, God can, God is, and God will! But in the context of these verses, James seems to be addressing something deeper than some of us assume. The kind of faith James is talking about here is tied to how we perceive God’s willingness. Do we associate His willingness with our desired outcomes? Are we coming to Him with requests we expect Him to fulfill? Are we being honest conditionally, expectationally? If God does not deliver in the way we hope, do we begin to doubt in Him and that He wants to help us at all? When our desired outcomes are not achieved, do we remain obedient and faithful, trusting that He is helping us through what He allows?

You see, the paradox is not as paradoxical as I first imagined. Double-mindedness is not merely about asking out of fear, weakness, wonder, or genuine curiosity and confusion. The Lord invites us to come with our honest and genuine thoughts and feelings. You can ask for wisdom and still be perplexed by God’s answer. And you can respond like Mary did to the angel Gabriel without being rebuked like Zechariah. There are times when, although we are going to God with our mouths asking for advice, what we are really asking for in our hearts is what we want. We come to Him expecting Him to reinforce our own desires, as though He is meant to be the way maker, the dream keeper, the insurer of our own will. To be blown about so easily is the one who doubts, yes, who doubts God, but also who doubts the validity of God’s willingness to help. James is warning us not to confuse God’s willingness to help with the fulfillment of our own desires and outcomes.

I do not always know what I need, but God does. And even if the outcome of my prayer life looks nothing like what I imagined it would, would I still see His willingness to help? Or is His willingness tied only to the fulfillment of my will, the one I dreamed, established, and set forth for myself? In my quiet time, the Holy Spirit encouraged me to look back on my prayers, especially the times God did not deliver what I wanted. Was He of lower value then? Did I accept and yield to His response, or did I push harder toward my own desire, fighting with more force and running with more tenacity to make sure my outcome came to pass? Did I truly accept God’s willingness to help, meaning did I accept His will in the areas He chose to intervene? God does invite us to ask, and James reminds us that it is worth asking for wisdom. It is not that God judges us for asking for something big or costly; the issue is not solely in what we are asking for. James reminds us what true wisdom is above all else. Wisdom is God’s guidance, not the fulfillment of our predisposition. Instead of coming to Him with the end already figured out, we are invited to come with open ears and an open heart, ready to seek and accept His counsel. When we realize that we lack that kind of willingness, we must pause and pray for it.

God Is The Plan

I say this so that when God does give you the wisdom He desires for you, you listen, follow, and step into obedience instead of being tossed like the sea and falling away from the God of perfect will. I say this because it is that deep. And I can speak from experience. Some of us have and would walk away from God, not because He was silent, or because He did not deliver on time, but because He did not deliver what we wanted in the end, when all along He intended to provide and keep His perfect promise for our lives. Do not be double-minded, going to God with a heart that says, “I’ll bring this to you, God, but if it doesn’t work, instead I am going to…” Be faithful to His plan over your life. Forget the backup plan. It may take some time to fully comprehend the wisdom that the Lord has given you to guide you through your decision or circumstance, but trust that He heard you and that He is willing to help you best. God has to be the first place you go. God is the plan. You do not create your own and ask Him to cosign on it. He establishes your steps as you go.

If you are guided only by what makes the most sense to you or what you have already set forth yourself, remaining faithful will be much harder than it needs to be. James reminds us of this in chapter 4:13-17

13 Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” 14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15 Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. 17 If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.

Take a moment to reflect on your conversations with the Lord. Are you divided between Him and your plans? If God answered every one of your questions today, and none of His responses aligned with what you hoped for, would you still trust in Him? Would you still love Him? It is easy to quickly answer yes. But I want you to think honestly about your deepest dreams and desires. What if today God told you that would not be the path He planned for you, or that you would never see its fulfillment? You came to Him because you lacked wisdom. You came in need. But if He said no to your will, would you walk away? How humbling it is to know that God has dominion over our lives.

If you had it all together, would you still need Him? If you could have it your way, would you ever call unto him? Thank God you do not, if that constant need drives you toward Him.

Ask for wisdom and trust that God is great enough, wise enough, and real enough to give it. Believe that He is your Father in heaven, sovereign over your life, and that His plan is greater than yours. Believe in His willingness to help you where you need it, not only where you want it. Consider all of His help to be valuable, worthy, and perfect like you know He is the author and illustrator of your perfect will and life. Trust that even when He does not give you what you desire, He has still shown His willingness by doing what He knows is best for you. Trust that His way is better than what you could ever picture for yourself.

Do not be double-minded, or tossed by your own desire and conditional faith. If God does not show up the way you hoped, trust that He is still your benevolent Lord, rich in love and mercy. Trust that His kindness is not a reflection of all the boxes you can check off on your wishlist. And Trust that His love is not measured by how much you get out of Him, but instead by who He is.

It will not always be easy. But if trusting Him in His sovereignty feels hard, be honest about that with Him, too. Jesus has the power and authority to renew our hearts so that we can understand and see God’s will through our calloused, cataracted lenses. The Holy Spirit can reassure us that God’s will for our lives is rooted in His love and mercy. What a merciful God we have, who would allow us to come to Him honestly without rebuking or blaming us where we lack. Do you understand what a blessing it is that Jesus gives us room to be honest with Him? If you grew up in a household with parents whose biggest explanation for their decisions and direction was “because I told you so,” you get just how gracious the Lord is with his counsel. Our Father knows what is best for us, yet He is still open to hearing our concerns and worries, giving us answers, and filling us up with faith. Even after we ask, sometimes good, and sometimes bad, He provides us with the wisdom we are seeking, which directs us in our decisions and circumstances to be perfectly aligned with His will. Sometimes, even after we have fallen out of alignment with it time and time again, we are met with His mercy and grace. The Lord gives us a heart to not only submit to His plan for our lives, but to willfully and joyfully surrender our will for His perfect one instead, as we fall deeper in love with Him. Call on His name, and feel free to be honest with God who gives freely. He is the same God who gives faith to the faithless. What more can He do with the faith that you bring to Him as you ask for wisdom?

Our Prayer

Heavenly Father,

Thank you for having dominion over our lives. Lord, it is you who knows the ins and outs of what is keeping us here today. It is you, O Lord, who sees what could have taken our lives, what could destroy our spirit, and what could drive us away from you. Despite all that you see, Lord, you give us free will, to choose right from wrong, to love you, to be guided by you. Thank you, God, that you are so graceful and merciful that you allow us to learn from our mistakes. Thank you, God, that even when we think our way is better, when we fight and run so far into our own will, you patiently guide us back to you. Thank you, God, that your way is better, that we do not have to worry about standing in the face of all the things that constantly work against us because as we rest and wake, God, it is you who protects us from our head to our toes. Thank you, God, that your way is better, that your way is rooted in the love and plans that you have for us. Thank you, God, that your will and your way desire the best for us, that our salvation and our joy are perfectly intertwined in your perfect plan. Thank you, God, that you make a way out of no way, that as we create plans, Lord, you hear us and establish our plans in perfect alignment with your will. Thank you, God, that you look into our hearts, that you do not judge us simply by what we say or our selfish and sinful decisions and desires. Thank you, God, that you justify us, that you give us far more than we may deserve. That, God, even when we think we deserve better as we do less, you still give us more, not because we deserve it but because of how wonderful and glorious you are. Thank you, God, that you are working for our good even when we do not want the good for ourselves. Thank you for giving us a helper, a Father, and a teacher, so that we would not be alone as we navigate through the complexities and challenges of this life. Thank you, God, for your willingness to help us, to hear us, to see us more than anyone else ever could. Thank you, God, for your goodness, for your grace, and for your perfection. Thank you, God, for revealing yourself to us so that we may long to live and bask in the presence of your love, that we would know your love, being perfectly united with who you formed us to be in our mother’s womb. Thank you, Lord, for all that you do, even all that you do that we do not recognize and that we take for granted. Thank you, God, that you do not condemn us based on our lack of understanding; instead, God, you pour wisdom into us as we mature and draw closer to you. Have your way in our lives, because we trust that you are willing to do what is best. Father, give us a heart not only to sacrifice and submit out of defeat, but to joyfully surrender our lives to you willingly, in trust that your way has always been better. Work in our hearts a thorough work, Jesus, that we may know and understand you better, that with each day we fall deeper in love with your will, your way, and your truth. In Jesus’ name,

Amen.