What is Wisdom, and Where Do I Find It?

A few years ago, if I remember correctly, a pastor I was working with told me of a quote from Bill Hybels.  In this statement, Hybels essentially said young people could not be good leaders because they lacked several things like experience, education, and wisdom.

And I was immediately angry.

Yes, young leaders can lack experience, that is a given.  But I don't think education (at least not the education he is most likely referring to, probably seminary) is necessary for a good leader.  And I totally agree that wisdom is needed, but whole-heartedly disagree that wisdom is out of the reach of the young- or anyone for that matter.

That quote, and hundreds like it from established leadership all over the country, is a symptom of a sickness with our understanding of wisdom in today's world.  The truth is, most people talk about wisdom like it is something earned, some achieved.

They mistake it for education.

I spent time in seminary.  I sat under numerous men and women who had studied their field for decades.  They no doubt knew their stuff, and knew more facts and doctrine than I ever will.  But only some of them were wise, others foolish.  The distinction there was pretty clear, the wise ones sincerely acknowledged their short-comings, that they didn't know it all.  The "wise" ones made it all about themselves, about what they knew, about what they'd done.

The Biblical back-up for this is in James 3:13-16:

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.  But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.  Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.  For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
 
I had one professor actually claim he was a better speaker than Billy Graham!  The issue was not his actual speaking skills, but the fact that he was boasting of himself.  Wisdom doesn't do that.

I'm not just bashing seminary professors here, I've seen it all over the place.  Churches have mistaken age and education for wisdom.  Often, they look to the guy who has been there the longest, or who seems the smartest to make the deciding stance.  Sometimes they get lucky, and that decision is a wise one.  But wouldn't it be better if we really knew what wisdom was?

According to James, the first evidence of wisdom is a good life, lived in humility brought on by wisdom.  A person of wisdom is not going to be the guy or girl loudly proclaiming their rightness.  They are just living it out, and offering help when it is solicited or desperately needed.  Later on in James 3, he adds in verse 17 that:

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.

If you sum all of that up, wisdom doesn't seek to anger or divide, but rather to bring people together.  Wisdom is not harsh or condemning, it does not demand itself be followed.  Wisdom lets people choose it, it does not mock those who fail to heed it.  It shows mercy.  Wisdom rejoices when a mocker accepts its words.

Wisdom sounds a lot like love.

Which brings me to where we find wisdom.  It is a lot like love, not just in its character, but in how we receive it.  Neither are earned, or achieved, or learned.  They are given.

Wisdom is a gift.

We need not look any further than James 1:5 for this proof:

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.


I do not claim to be a wise man.  I may have moments of wisdom, but only when I ask God for them.  I know  some pretty good facts, and think of myself as somewhat intelligent.  But these do not make me wise, nor will they ever, even when added to my experience and any education I receive.  Wisdom comes to me like it came to Solomon- when I ask God.  Just like it can come to you if you ask Him.

But know this- if you are seeking wisdom for your own personal gain, you'll be left empty-handed.  Wisdom is given not so we can build up ourselves, but so that we can serve and help others.  Wisdom is given to raise a family, lead a church, make good decisions, follow God- and a thousand other things.  Each of them is about helping others.  If we were to be wise, yet only for our own benefit, then we are not wise.  If we have 'wisdom', yet only use it to make others feel bad or dumb, that is not wisdom- it is folly.

Wisdom, like love, is a gift we receive that is meant to passed on, sincerely and for the betterment of others.

The Lightness of Beauty, The Heaviness of Eternity

      I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.-- Eccelsiastes 3:10-11

I'm sitting in a cabin in Lake City, Colorado.  In every direction, mountain peaks streak toward the sky, some are still covered in snow even in July.  The aroma of pine trees is wafting in the screen door, and if I listen close enough, I can hear the slight roar of a creek swelling its banks and rushing over huge boulders.  On this trip, I've seen hundred foot tall waterfalls, had a picnic with my family overlooking a 12,500 foot mountain lake that was an almost unearthly blue, and gotten up close and personal with marmots, pikas, and deer.  In three days time, I've been hailed on, rained on, and sleeted on.
 It has been the epitome of beauty.
 I've always loved the mountains, from the first time I skied one at fifteen until now as I sit soaking up our last night of vacation.  The mountains have always seemed to speak to me, in a deep way, almost a spiritual, worshipful way.  I can still remember standing atop a peak in Rocky Mountain National Park, and the breathtaking feeling of being able to see for miles upon miles.  I'd never felt closer to God.
 I've loved this trip, the time with my family, and the scenery; but this time, I feel something is missing.  The fulfillment I've felt before from taking in the beauty is far less than what I've known before.  So, in the midst of this feeling of lacking, I came across (yet again) the above passage from Ecclesiastes.  I find it so potent, so deep...so beautiful.  
 It explains something to me that has often escaped me in my life:  This world was not meant to fulfill me.  Entertain me, excite me, encourage me, challenge me, and at times take my breath away, but never should any created thing give me definition, give me true life.
 It took coming to Colorado to bring to the forefront of my mind what has been playing at the back of it.  The fact that I've been seeking fulfillment from everything under the sun, all the beauty that is having its time, and not looking at the One behind it.
 I've been pastoring my church.  I've been writing.  I've been soaking up the adoration of my family.  I've sought out art in the form of music, movies, and television.  In and of themselves, these are good things, beautiful things.  I dare say I'm not terribly unlike most others in this.  It makes sense, doesn't it?  We appreciate most that which we can see and feel.  We are human.  
 And, according to Ecclesiastes, this is the burden God has laid on us.
 Because not only does God give us these beautiful things to appreciate, He also sets something deep, something spiritual in our hearts.  It's something that calls to us, that beckons us from beyond the veil of what we can see.  Something that we are destined to not fully grasp but forever long for.
 Eternity.
 The funny thing is, we all want this, deep down, yet we know so little about eternity.  We know it's a long time.  We know God exists there.  We know He promises us that we will be with Him for eternity if we trust in Christ.  And, we know God “sets eternity in the hearts of men.”  Whatever that means.
 What I believe that means is that God put in our hearts a desire to know more, to seek the deeper things that we don't always understand, to grow bored of lesser things- even if those things are beautiful and good.  In short, I believe God set in our hearts a hunger for Him that will be teased and fed by the beauty of family, mountains, poetry, music and laughter.  The burden we carry is that we will often be mesmerized by these beautiful things, but in them we will never find satisfaction.
 These beautiful things point to God, but we make them the point.  And we miss the point.  For all the praise given to a painting, it is the painter who is deserving of the credit.  The world is the painting, God is the painter.
 As my vacation comes to a close, and I prepare to head home, I'm going to take one long, last look at the majestic peaks that surround me.  I'm going to breathe deep the aroma of pine trees.  I'm going to listen closely to the sound of rushing water.  I'm going to appreciate the laughter and joy of my wife and children.
 But then, I'm going to remember my God.  I'm going to acknowledge the longing in my heart for Him and His love that no amount of His creation can fill.  And I will return to my everyday life forever pursuing the eternity God has set in my heart.

Building a Better Church

A friend was recently telling me that his church just announced that they'd be building a new building, a bigger building to fit their growth.  While it is great that a church is growing so much it needs more space, issues arise.  Not everyone will like it, being the key one.  But there are costs to be assessed, logistics to be worked out, and, hopefully, much prayer to engage in.

            Now, I've been in a few churches that go through building projects.  Some were to construct all new facilities, some were simply renovations.  All of them paid close attention to the things it needs to make a good building- in other words, the right materials and a good blueprint.  As a I listened to my friend talk about his church's plan, it got me thinking about a different kind of church construction, the spiritual kind.  See, my current church in a building plan, but we have no desire to invest in bricks and mortar, steel and wood.  No, we are at a juncture where we must become very intentional about how we build our church.  Here are a few of the things we need to make the structure sound.

Foundation

            It may sound like a cliché, but the foundation of a church is the most important thing we do.  It must be planted in Christ, His life, death, and resurrection, and His teaching, including the taking part of ordinances (baptism and Lord Supper- the act of doing them, not the manner in which they are done, that comes later).  This is non-negotiable.  This must be rock solid.  A crack here will destroy everything that comes after.  Think of Jesus' own parable of the builders who built on sand and who built on rock.  The solid foundation is the clear winner.

            The problem I find in a lot of churches is that they try to put too much in the foundation.  They fill this base not just with Christ, but with denominational history, with tradition, and with preferences that have become dogma without being necessary to identifying with Christ.  These things are important, but they are not foundational.  The reason is that they are not eternal, unchanging things.  Christ alone is.  If you put something in the foundation that you later regret, you have to destroy the building to get it out.  So keep the foundation simple.

Framework

            Once the foundation is laid, you build on it.  Several things go into this:  Those beliefs that shape the core culture of the church beyond the foundation and the leaders. 

            These beliefs (probably called doctrine and/or policies by some) are important, but they are not foundational.  Baptism provides a great example of how these separate from the foundation.  Jesus teaching on baptism as a symbol of salvation- not the actual act of salvation- is foundational.  Whether that baptism is by sprinkling, immersion or another means is vitally important to the structure of the church, but it is not foundational.  You need to know where you stand as a church on issues like these, but they are not what makes or breaks you in the body of Christ.

            Now the leaders.  Leaders, as much as the doctrine, give shape to the church.  And I'm sure you'd agree when you look at the rise of the 'celebrity' pastor of today.  Major mega-church leaders shape so much of the views of their church. 

            But I'm not just talking about the pastors who lead.

            A church cannot survive or really even be healthy if the only leaders are the staff.  As a pastor, I'm begging you, if you are so called, to lead out in your church.  There are many non-clergy who are as much or more of a leader than the pastor.  You lead with your influence, with your skills, with your attitude.  If something comes up in church and people come to you- congratulations, you're a leader.  And you are part of the framework of the church.  Be active, be strong, and be careful.  Not all the framework is as important as others- support beams carry the bulk of the weight in a building and are more important than the smaller 2x4s that are also necessary to good construction.  Basically, be a leader, but don't overstep your bounds- for your sake and the church's.

            And the clergy- they better be solid or their failings and faults- as those support beams carrying so much weight- with bring the church down quickly.

Bricks

            The rest of the people in the church who are not leaders are the bricks.  They are what the rest of the world sees most often and therefore judges the church by.  A house with cracked, dingy brick is judged unappealing by the world.  As the bricks, you are the representative of the Framework and the Foundation.  You also protect and give strength to the church.  You may feel that you are not needed from time to time, but you need to realize that if even one brick were to leave it's place, the whole structure is weakened. 

            This doesn't mean that your only job is to be there.  You must be involved, engaged with the rest of the church.  Serve, don't just sit.  Find the spot you fit best and do the most and do it.  With all your heart.  With passion.

Mortar

            Without a bonding agent, bricks will eventually fall apart, no matter how good they are.  Mortar bonds bricks.  In the church, mortar is a combination of love and community.  And it is vital that both are present.  You can love people from a distance, and you can have community with people you don't really care about. 

            When love and community come together, you get groups of people who actually want to hear what your prayer needs are.  People want to help you through your struggles.  People want to share their lives- good and bad.  There are many churches out that that have good foundations, good framework, and good bricks.  But they fall apart because they don't connect to each other.  So, be attentive and eager to reach out to the people around you, whether they are new or old.

Doors and Decor

            Remember all those things in the foundation section like denominational history and preferences?  They are the doors and décor.  They give the church it's atmosphere, it's personality.  And they act as doors to allow people in or keep them out.  They are aesthetics.  Important to the overall finished product, but easily changed if needed.  The truth is, some people will “Love what you've done  with the place,” while others will hold their nose.  If these things become so off-putting, you might want to consider redecorating, as long as the redecorating doesn't damage the rest of the structure, especially the foundation.

Roof

            And over all this, must be prayer.  Simply put, prayer is the protection that puts the church 'in the dry.'  Without it, you are exposed, you are weak, and you will be destroyed.  Honestly, this section really ought to be included closer to the beginning of this little 'construction,' but it's here because it needs to be what we're left with.  Many churches try to make prayer part of the décor, but it is what encloses and holds together all that has come before:  foundation, framework, bricks, mortar, and doors and décor.         

            Pray for your church, and all the beliefs, people, and actions that make it what it is.  Cover each other in prayer.  Weather the storms that rise.

            My friend's church that is beginning a Church Construction phase has been blessed with growth in numbers.  There are many churches that have been down that road- and that is great.  But unless they properly construct the spiritual church- the physical building will itself become abandoned and decrepit. 

            Be wise builders, fellow Christ Followers.  Build not with the easy way, the palatable way, or the common way.  Build with the blueprint God enlightens you to.

Restless

For some time now, I've been growing restless.

Now, I don't mean in in the sense that I'm ready to make huge changes like moving or a mid-life crisis/new sports car or suddenly becoming a vegan.  But I do mean restless in the sense that when things become too comfortable, I get bored and I want something to reinvigorate me.  I've felt this way numerous times in my life, probably the most significant being the time leading up to God calling me to start what has become the Gate.  I'd been in the youth ministry for about 7 years, and I'd been in pretty traditional churches.  We saw the same Bible studies year after year, dealt with the same issues, saw the same results.  Add to that the stirring in my heart to lead a church, and the fact that at 27, with no seminary degree (this means no one would hire me to run a traditional church), and I felt trapped.

So, God led me to a place of restlessness so that I'd start a church in a bar that went to where the people who needed Jesus were- not asking them to come to us.  

It seems strange that it's been nearly four years since that time in Colorado when God moved me so powerfully during a message from a guy from Campus Crusade talking about college ministry.  His description of a hedonistic lifestyle at a rather 'free living' kind of college broke my heart for a generation I was not so far removed from, yet already sensing a great space between us.  In those moments, I knew what I had to do, i just had no idea the hurdles that lay ahead.

Now, we are a three year old church- approaching this fall our 3rd year of meeting at Hurricane Harry's across from Texas A&M.  We're about to get through all the red tape of being a fully recognized 501(c)3, about to have an on-campus student organization for the first time, about to get to meet some new freshmen at Impact- a freshman retreat for those looking for God at A&M, and about to generally enter a new stage of life for our little group.

And I'm restless.

So much of what we are as a church is exactly what I'd hoped for- welcoming, standing strong for God's Truth but not being jerks about it, and free to be something completely different if we want to be.  

But I'm not satisfied.

I look at who we are and see that there are students who have grown in Christ so much since we met them.  But I also see some that have reached a point where they seem to be content to set up camp and just hang out there, never seeking the deeper things of God.  

I can't blame them, I'm there, too.

I think it's maybe a combination of burnout on the endless red tape thrown at us by the obligations of the government and other institutions, combined with a low spiritual gas tank from lots of giving and not much getting.  I mean that in the sense of not getting the time with God that really fills me, time spent alone with Him in a place of inspiration.  There have been a few me in my life- but maybe none more potent and inexplicable than the mountains.

My family and I are going there seeking rest and relaxation- a recharging, if you will.  But for me, the goal is a particular mountain.  It's called Handie's Peak, and it is 14,048 ft at the summit.  And I want to climb it.

I realize we may not make it to the top, but I need to give it a shot.  Here's why:  I need to be reminded that all the things that have worn me out about starting and leading a church are so worth the view from the mountain.  I need to go to a place where I have always felt nearer to God, because I feel distant from Him.  And yes, I know God is always with me, but you know what I'm talking about.  There are places and memories that when encountered the residue of God's presence is so potent you can feel it.  

I need that to face what's coming.

See, when I get restless- God is doing something.  There is a longing in me for something more- a God placed longing.  For all the good stuff I've seen the last four years- God's vision, provision, and power as well as the hearts of His children blossoming- He's got better up His sleeve.  

I want to be ready for it.

Call it a Vision Quest, call it a road trip, call it family vacation.  I call it worship.  I am seeking to Approach God, to listen for His voice, and to be changed by what I hear.  And I can do it just as well hiking up a mountain with my family as I can sitting on a bar stool (or pew, for the rest of you folks) this Sunday.  In fact, I'd argue, there are times we all need to worship outside the traditional confines of our church.  It gives us a fresh, new perspective on things, a sort of 'wide horizon' view of God.  It's God unBoxed.  It was good for Moses, Elijah, and Jesus.

So, if I'm to lead my church, I need to seek my God.  Wherever He may be.  My prayer is that we all grow a little Restless in our pursuit of God- because it means He is on the move.