James 1:5

"If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given to you” (James 1:5).

Comment:

The Letter of James—really a sermon by an unknown author—deals with the question of how to live a life according to the teachings of Jesus Christ. He begins by affirming that we should "count it all joy, my brethren, when you meet various trials" (RSV). This is never a popular teaching, but it is spiritually important. The purpose of trials is to allow us opportunities to make loving choices, which is how we accomplish our spiritual purpose of creating the new consciousness that Jesus calls “the kingdom of heaven.” Of course, the loving choices we make must express as love, not only for others, but for ourselves, as well.

How do we know what the loving choice may be? That's where verse 5 comes in. This statement would probably have reminded its first readers of the third chapter of 1 Kings, in which Solomon asks the Lord of his being for "an understanding heart" and, as a result, becomes renowned for his wisdom. Metaphysically, we understand that to "ask God" is to call upon an aspect of 'the Lord of our being'—the Christ Presence of God within us. Anytime we call upon wisdom, that aspect of the Christ is immediately available to us. But, like Solomon, we must ask. If we become distracted by other things, or seek answers elsewhere in the false belief that we don't have access to wisdom ourselves, then our process of moving toward the new consciousness that is the kingdom of heaven will be that much delayed.

Blessings!

Rev. Ed