"If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind." James 1:5-6
"Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, 'This is the way; walk in it.'" Isaiah 30:21
Maturing Christians develop a consistent sense of practical guidance by the Holy Spirit. This world is complex, and so are the many decisions a maturing Christian must make in daily life: where to live, what job to pursue, who to marry, what ministry best lines up with his gifts, what Christian charity to donate to, whether to go on a mission trip, etc. Faith is the spiritual eyesight by which we can perceive the specific path God wants us to take. The more we mature in faith, the clearer will be the strong sense of guidance God will give us for these various decisions.
It is true that these decisions involve more than faith. We develop wisdom and insight into the world and ourselves by living and learning every day. God expects us to use that practical wisdom when we must make decisions. The “rubber meets the road” daily wisdom employed by worldly-wise people offers helpful guidance, and Jesus himself said, “The children of this world are in this generation wiser than the children of light” (Luke 16:8). However, the eye of faith sees beyond the mere physical and practical decisions to what’s best for the kingdom of God and for eternity. And as Christians mature, they have more and more a sense of what God is doing in this or that situation. This sense comes from the Holy Spirit, and it is vital so that we do not waste life’s precious resources, especially time and strength, on things that are at cross purposes with what God’s wise plan calls for.
"The eye of faith sees beyond the mere physical and practical decisions to what’s best for the kingdom of God and for eternity."
So, in James 1:5-6, the text tells Christians to ask God for wisdom in these situations. And it directly links the reception of that guidance to faith—we must believe and not doubt that God will give it. The failure of this kind of faith is described in terms almost exactly like the words used by Paul in Ephesians 4:14 to describe spiritual infants—immature Christians. So, maturing Christians develop a capacity to ask and receive from God all the wisdom needed for vital decisions that shape the entire direction of their lives.
Isaiah 30:21 also gives a sense of this guidance, the ability to hear the voice of the Lord guiding you day by day, telling you where to go and what to do. Another key passage is John 14:21, “Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. And whoever loves me will be loved by my Father; and I too will love him and manifest myself to him.” This manifesting of Christ to the obedient Christian is a vital revelation of Christ’s person and purposes in this world. The more faithfully obedient we are to God, the more he will include us in his ways and purposes. That form of daily guidance is essential to the life of faith in a maturing Christian.
