"I WILL NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN!"

I recently had a friend who visited Peru. While planning her return to the states, she wrote, “I WILL NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN!” From her words I knew that in some way she had been enlightened…yes, something very meaningful had happened within her being to change her.

“I WILL NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN!” The sentence still pulsates off the page, resounds in my ears and tugs at my heart, for I have also voiced these words…yes, in response to the most important revelations during my life. This sentence carries with it such an underlying statement of strength and stability in the proclamation that one has been gifted with discernment regarding something very important…something that results in our knowledge becoming wisdom and this wisdom forever changes our being. Such life-changing clarity comes only from God.

“Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith without doubting. For the doubter is like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. An indecisive man is unstable in all his ways.” -James 1:5-7 (HCSB)

As a young child, the most important knowledge I possessed was truth from the Bible. I grew up in church with Bible stories, songs of praise and the basic knowledge of God all around me. It wasn’t until I, was under conviction from the Holy Spirit that I prayed and received wisdom and became aware that I too, needed to ask Jesus…in faith…without doubting…to save me…yes, me personally. As I walked down the isle of my small country church, tears filled my eyes in humility as I prayed asking forgiveness for my sins and invited Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. I thought my heart would burst with joy on Easter morning as I followed the Lord’s ordinance in Baptism. I said, “I WILL NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN!”

I do not claim that there have not been many times when I have knowingly, miserably failed my Lord. I am His child though and through His infinite mercy, I turned to Him. I have been reprimanded, taught and I have repented and have received my Father's forgiveness. In this I am sure. As the story goes regarding the refiner of silver, so has my Father watched over me and cared for me, teaching me while holding me in the flames to melt impurities from me…so much so that He can now see His reflection in me once more. Prior to this time though, Satan had me exactly where he wanted me, causing me enormous difficulty in understanding how I could possibly have fallen so far…how I could have turned my back on God, turned away from His call and made me doubt how I could ever sing again or be used in His service. Did I really possess the knowledge I thought I had? I ask you, can a Christian with so much knowledge actually lack wisdom? Ask Peter. The answer is a resounding YES! I know my own personal trials and failures but for whatever your reason, when we no longer ask, consult or invite the Holy Spirit to guide us in our decision-making process and He is not beckoned for wisdom or to show us God's clarity in scripture, we ultimately close the door on intercessory intervention in our daily lives.

God always gives us the freedom to choose and that freedom is intended so we may place Him first in our life. He wants us to choose Him, obey Him, receive His blessings and He wants to show us all His glory. The knowledge we possess as Christians is worthless unless we choose to pray for wisdom. Wisdom is God’s gift to us of His spiritual insight. God is not only my Father. He is also my teacher and He has taught me so much. First and foremost, God has taught me to seek the Holy Spirit regarding all my life choices so as to align myself with scripture and pray for wisdom so that I may seek His purpose in everything. With the gift of God’s wisdom, I have and continue to celebrate my trials and continue to grow more steadfast in my faith. “I WILL NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN!”

Captured in His reflection,