This is Living: Where Do You Find Wisdom?

So many of us live with regret. The "I wish I could turn back the clock" moments. What if there was a way to tap into ultimate wisdom that not only helped you make better decisions in the future but also helped you find freedom from unwise decisions in the past? There is!

Mindset / Mindshift: this is not about getting access to some new information but rather about getting to know what you already have access to.

Message Notes 03/11/2024 - Gareth Nicholson

Catch Up Links: YouTube || Spotify || iTunes

The 5 "I"s of unwise decisions… Am I?

• Impulsive

• Isolated

• Irresponsible advice (internet, unwise or otherwise?)

• Influenced by _____ (peers, substances)

• Instructed by emotion

Unwise decisions (yours and others) usually lead to

• Unexpected regrets / baggage

• Unwanted Consequences

• Unnecessary relational complexity

7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 9 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. Matthew 7:7-12

If you take the text out of context, all you are left with is a con.  

 Context

Judgement  |——|   Golden rule

This is a passage in between two other passages about wisdom in relationships with people!

2/ Cross Reference

13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” Luke 11:13

3/ Commentary

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do. James 1:5-8

17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:17

4/ Conclusion

This is a formative prayer for wisdom in relational complexity, to navigate the deep-rooted issues, to change the internal structure of our hearts to become more like Jesus.

 Here's why it matters:  Most of the issues we have in life, are to do with people and unwise decisions.  Stretching right back to Eden - take wisdom, or lean into the wisdom that I already have. How we have been treated, how people treat others. The sin that we have done, and the sin that has been done to us Pride, control, betrayal, manipulation, hurtful words, prejudice, anger, contempt etc.

This part about Ask, Seek Knock is more

• Formative than formula

• Infusion than Informational

• Posture than process

• Relational  than transactional 

It is wisdom that flows out from a deep personal dependence of God - connected to the source. It promotes humility and generosity in relationships in the day to day opportunities to discern what is wise.

The Formation Journey: The goal is to become more like Jesus

• Generally big victories at first

• Then, settling, things remain under the surface

  Examples

  • Anger, contempt, pride, thought patterns

  The more you follow Jesus the more the Holy Spirit works on the heart

Gifts are given. Fruit is grown.  It takes time & intentionality. Ask, seek, knock.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Galatians 5:22-23

Whether you are navigating relational complexity now or dealing with regret of the past

The enemy will try to

• Keep you rushed / impulsive

• Keep you isolated

• Keep you following irresponsible advice

• Keep you influenced

• Keep you emotionally instructed

• Keep you believing you are incapable of change

This is not what God wants for you!

The wisest decisions you can make for yourself, and for everyone around you:

Decide to follow Jesus and then open yourself to the deeper work of the Spirit

Transformation should happen in the place where you need it most, i.e. in the areas you are not yet transformed!

• Difficult people - Ask seek knock

• Prejudice - Ask seek knock

• Offense/unforgiveness - Ask seek knock

• Gossip - Ask seek knock

• Anger - Ask seek knock