Skip to main content

developing spiritual wisdom

If only getting wise was as simple as getting older.

I didn’t ask for gray hairs — I simply had children!  My knees decided on their own how much basketball I would be able to play in one week.  Aging happens; wisdom is not so automatic.

How does a person gain spiritual wisdom?  When the apostle Paul writes his letter to the Colossians, he shares this prayer:

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way … (Colossians 1:9-10).

The Holy Spirit grants wisdom to those who yield themselves to God.  There are certain things we can only learn or understand by doing.  Faith is one of those things.

Until Peter stepped out of the boat and actually walked on water (Matthew 14), he may have intellectually believed it was possible to walk on water with God’s help.  Having seen Jesus do it himself, he may have developed a good theory.  At that point, he had belief — but did he have faith?

Peter gained spiritual wisdom and understanding only when his foot struck the water and he didn’t sink.  It was at that point that theory became reality.

As you experience God’s faithfulness your own faith in him grows.

If you want to learn more of the Bible, try teaching it to four and five year-olds.

If you want to develop a faith that believes God will provide for your needs, start a new church without a building or budget.

It is when you take a faith-inspired action that your spiritual wisdom and understanding grows.  Which, in turn, grows your faith.