The Prerequisite of Trials: Trusting the God of Wisdom

In John Bunyan’s classic The Pilgrim’s Progress, Mr. Facing Bothways embodies a double-minded behavior. He wants the best of both worlds—grasping earthly pleasures with one hand while reaching for eternal life with the other. To him, a fine Christian could have it both ways. 

Jesus disagrees. He declared, “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other” (Matt. 6:24). Your master is that which you refuse to let go of. In your spiritual life, you only have one hand to extend. You will either hold onto Christ, who draws you to heaven, or cling to other things that drag you down to hell. Reaching both ways leads to a precarious life and a volatile faith devoid of divine wisdom.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”

James 1:5-8

James, in his letter, often rounds off his main points with a stand-alone aphorism—a pithy observation containing a general truth. Consider, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” In James 1:18, he uses an aphorism to assert what God does through trials. Again, in 2:26, he declares that genuine faith always has works. Here, to conclude 1:5-8 (or even verse 4), he writes, “A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways” (Ja. 1:8). James wants his readers to be single-minded in their faith, not double-minded. To be triumphant in trials, you must be unwavering in your faith. You cannot be Mr. Bothways. You cannot serve both God and something else.

In verses 5-8, James emphasizes the prerequisites of trials. He explains that those who face trials often lack wisdom and need to turn to God to receive it. The first prerequisite is recognizing your deficiency and praying for wisdom. Wisdom is the key that unlocks righteous living according to God’s will. However, as verses 6-8 show, wisdom is only granted to those who ask the right way—the third prerequisite.

Asking the Right Way

Wisdom is invaluable, and valuable things are not given out carelessly. This is especially true of heavenly wisdom—the wisdom given by God. Not everyone who asks for wisdom will receive it. It is given freely, but only to those who “ask in faith, with no doubting” (Ja. 1:6). This serves as a stern reminder to followers of Christ to take this truth seriously and to understand it correctly.

Many today believe faith is a supernatural force to be wielded to get what you want, a notion that exists only in the movies. It is unbiblical and foreign to what James teaches. He pits faith against doubt by showing faith as being without doubt. In essence, faith is a belief that acts. It is more than a mere assertion; it is a belief in God that leads to obedience to God. Often, faith is reduced to “trust,” the opposite of “doubt”—the best way to understand James’ meaning.

When James says that wisdom is given to those who “ask in faith, with no doubting,” he refers to those who genuinely trust God by believing and obeying Him. The previous verse reveals that God “gives generously to all without reproach,” so asking with faith means trusting in God’s wisdom, not merely His grace to give it. In other words, we should not doubt God’s wisdom is right and best.

Consider King Saul’s failure to trust God during the battle at Gilgal. The prophet Samuel assured Saul that the Lord would be with him and make him victorious against the Philistines (1 Sam. 10:7). The instructions were simple: 

“Go down before me to Gilgal. And behold, I am coming down to you to offer burnt offerings and to sacrifice peace offerings. Seven days you shall wait until I come to you and show you what you shall do.”

1 Samuel 10:8

Three chapters later, the story unfolds. Saul and his army waited for seven days, growing fearful as they saw the Philistine numbers. Many hid “in caves and in holes and in rocks and in tombs and in cisterns”—wherever they could find cover (1 Sam. 13:6). Others fled. Saul held his ground—until he didn’t (1 Sam. 13:7). Before the seventh day ended, Saul took matters into his own hands and offered the sacrifices himself (1 Sam. 13:9). As he finished, Samuel arrived (1 Sam. 13:10). Saul failed to trust God’s wisdom through the prophet. Samuel rebuked him, saying, “You have done foolishly,” which is the opposite of wisely, “you have not kept the command of the Lord your God, with which he commanded you” (1 Sam. 13:13). Saul preferred human wisdom, which is foolishness, to God’s wisdom. When he saw the Philistines advancing, he acted on his own accord (1 Sam. 13:12). This cost him his kingdom.

Before we judge Saul too harshly, we must consider how often we apply our own wisdom when trials come. Suddenly, our wisdom seems more appealing than God’s because God’s wisdom requires us to lean more heavily on His sovereignty. Faith is most evident when we trust and obey during our most troubling times, especially when human wisdom seems more reasonable.

This is what James is emphasizing—asking God for His wisdom when you are committed to applying it supremely. To be triumphant in trials, you must ask the right way.

Asking the Wrong Way

Years ago, a Christian hip-hop group recorded a song about a man named Johnny Fencerider. “Fenceriding” is an idiom for someone who tries to have things both ways because they cannot decide which is the better path—right or wrong. Johnny Fencerider, according to the song, rode the fence of trust. He trusted God when it served him best, but he leaned on the world when it didn’t. He is, in essence, a double-minded man, swayed by the winds of trials.

James warns, “For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways” (Ja. 1:7-8). There it is: asking for wisdom without faith—without trust in God’s word—is pointless and unrewarded. Why would God give you something you don’t truly want? Many profess faith in God, but they act differently when put to the test. In doing so, they reveal their true desires.

If you asked God for a vehicle, would you drive it if it wasn’t the one you wanted? What if you asked God to fix your marriage, and He told you to apologize? What if you asked for guidance, and He sent you to another country as a missionary? A rich man once asked Christ to save him, and the Lord told him to sell all his possessions. The man walked away in sorrow because he preferred his riches (Matt. 19:16-22).

Christian faith often counters worldly wisdom. Consider: “Love your enemies” (Luke 6:27). Not challenging enough? Try this: “Bless those who curse you” (Luke 6:28). Or, “To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either” (Luke 6:29). We could go on: “From the one who takes away your goods do not demand them back” (Luke 6:30). These four verses alone reveal the counterintuitive nature of God’s wisdom.

God’s wisdom is granted to those who reject worldly wisdom. You cannot have it both ways. The person who thinks he can fails to understand the purpose of trials. He is confused by them, as the world’s influence clouds his thinking. For him, trials end in bitterness.

But for those who love the Lord, ask for wisdom in faith, and endure, the reward is immense. It is wisdom—seeing things as God sees them. This brings us a step closer to spiritual maturity.

In 1 Kings 18:21, the prophet Elijah challenges the people of Israel: “How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” You cannot have it both ways. God’s wisdom is essential for triumphant living. Without it, you will be tossed around by the waves of the world.

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