A Spirit of Wisdom
“I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.” Ephesians 1:15-23
Good as these things may be, I don’t think Paul was writing about this kind of wisdom when he wrote the preceding verse. I think, rather, that he was talking about a kind wisdom that can’t be achieved in the same way that these milestones can be achieved. There is a kind of wisdom that, rather than being acquired by us striving for and obtaining it, comes to us by grace and with time. Wisdom that comes through prayer. Wisdom that comes in quiet contemplation. Or wisdom that comes in moments of celebration. But in all of these things, it is wisdom that takes time and that comes from a deepening relationship with God. Wisdom that brings hope, that comes from God and speaks to the riches in store for us. Wisdom that takes a lifetime to learn, even though it may contain the simplest truths we need.
Stephen Case-Blanchard