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March 13, 2009
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=========================== TODAY'S ARTICLE ==========================
Uncommon Wisdom, by Alan Garner
After two and a half days of meeting with Volunteers of America
colleagues from across the nation at our 2009 Winter Conference, I was
asked to close the winter conference leading the group in prayer.
Before I began praying, I commented that as I thought through the
struggles of our economy, the struggles of individuals and families in
even more need because of the economy, and the struggles of our
Volunteers of America affiliates being asked to serve more people with
fewer resources, I thought of two things. First, my grandparents and
parents teaching us to always seek wisdom. Second, I thought of two
scriptures that can almost seem to compete with each other.
Wisdom can teach us that what appears to be the right and obvious
answer in the urgency of a situation, can in fact be wrong, even
detrimental in the long run. But, how does one know? Experience.
Wisdom.
One scripture that was one of my granddad's favorites, comes from the
book of James:
Count it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,
knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance ... (James
1:2 NASB).
Why? Why in the pain and stress of ongoing trials, should one count it
joy? The word joy, here, does not mean happiness, particularly the way
we think of someone who is happy. (Although, one of my grandmothers did
teach us grandkids that happiness is something you decide to be in
spite of what happens to you.)
The word joy in this verse means that inner peace that comes to a
Christian dealing with earthly struggles and pain, because they can
rest, peacefully, in their eternal hope in Christ. It is the same word
Jesus used when he talked about the servant being invited to "enter
into the joy of your master" (Matthew 25:21). There is a higher purpose
in "counting it all joy ..."
The other scripture is commonly called "The Prayer of Jabez." Jabez
prayed,
Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother named
him Jabez saying, "Because I bore him with pain."
Now Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, "Oh that You would
bless me indeed and enlarge my border, and that Your hand might be
with me, and that You would keep me from harm that it may not pain
me!" And God granted him what he requested (1 Chronicles 4:9-10).
We can choose!
The Prayer of Jabez had a very popular book written about it a few
years ago. It is used to illustrate asking God for great things,
especially asking for God to enlarge the impact of ministry that brings
Him glory and a blessing to others.
Today, we need to seek the wisdom, even an uncommon wisdom, in
"counting it all joy" as we go through the struggles of life. At the
same time, we need to be asking God to bless us in our work for His
glory and the good of others. The scriptures are clear: God blesses us
more when we ask for the benefit of others, and not selfishly.
We have an option before us. We can choose -- yes, choose -- to let
stress overtake us, or we can embrace the trials we face knowing we can
gain faith and wisdom -- even an uncommon wisdom -- as we face our
challenges today. At the same time, the Lord can use these challenges
to open up an opportunity for us to serve others in ways we have never
dreamed.
Lord God, you know the challenges we face, our human frailties, the
weaknesses we have, and our need for faith. You know our need for
wisdom, Your wisdom. We ask that you will guide us into Your
wisdom, an uncommon wisdom. In the name of your Son, Amen.
---------
(c) 2009 Alan Garner <agarner@voapa.org> & Volunteers of America
<http://www.voa.org>.
RELATED LINKS:
* Tragedy Can Bring Awareness
http://www.heartlight.org/articles/200709/20070928_awareness.html
* Volunteers of America
http://www.voa.org/
* The Prayer of Jabez
http://www.heartlight.org/cgi-shl/todaysverse.cgi?day=20010312
* Volunteers of America
http://www.voa.org
This article can be found on the web at:
http://www.heartlight.org/articles/200903/20090313_wisdom.html
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