The message at church today was a reflection of what I pray about daily. The pastor talked about being teachable, focusing on Psalm 119:33-40. As he spoke, he mentioned James 1:5, and it brought me right back to the verse that I rely on: “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.” That moment reminded me of how much this passage in James means to me and how it shapes my approach to life.

James 1:5-8 isn’t just a call to seek wisdom; it’s a challenge to do so with unwavering faith. It’s one thing to ask God for wisdom, but it’s another to be open and teachable when He gives it. James makes it clear that if we’re going to ask, we need to trust God completely: “But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver.” That’s where I find myself every day—humbled and asking for wisdom, not just for the big decisions, but for every aspect of my life.

As a business owner, I have plenty of choices to make, and the pressure can be overwhelming. From financial decisions to managing employees, I need God’s guidance. James 1:5 gives me confidence to seek that wisdom daily, knowing that God will provide it. But it also reminds me that I need to approach each decision with a teachable spirit. It’s not about asking God to bless my plans; it’s about seeking His direction and trusting it, even when it’s not what I initially had in mind.

Then there’s my role as a dad to adult children. There are times when I want to step in and steer them based on my own experiences, but James warns against that kind of divided mindset. “For a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.” If I’m going to ask God for wisdom in guiding my kids, I need to be ready to accept His way of doing it. That might mean holding back my advice and trusting God to work in their lives, which can be hard, but it’s necessary.

What James lays out is a choice. Are we going to be people who trust God fully, or are we going to waver and let our own desires take the wheel? I don’t want to be the “double-minded” person James describes—unstable in everything. I want my loyalty to be clear: it’s in God, and God alone. That’s where true wisdom comes from, and that’s what I’m after.

The beautiful part of James 1:5 is the promise that God gives wisdom generously. He’s not stingy with it, but the key is that we have to ask with faith. I remind myself daily that God isn’t just willing to give wisdom; He’s eager to do so. But my job is to approach Him with an open heart, ready to learn and follow wherever He leads.

So, I keep coming back to this prayer: “God, I need Your wisdom.” And I say it with the confidence that He will provide, as long as I’m willing to receive it with a teachable, unwavering heart. That’s the life I want to live—a life shaped and guided by God’s wisdom.