Seek Wisdom
“After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.” Luke 2:46-47
Did you know that the scriptures only give us a handful of stories about Jesus’ life between the story of His birth at Christmas and the beginning of His ministry at age 30? For three decades, God was preparing Jesus for His ultimate calling- to begin His ministry that would culminate in His crucifixion, death, and resurrection. He would be the true savior and pay the price of sin once and for all. But until then, He was growing and waiting on God to press the “play” button on that portion of His life.
For most of us, that is the time of life we find ourselves in. We aren’t newborns, but we are not yet fully grown and haven’t heard God yell, “START!” on the final mission of our lives. It feels as if we are living in an in between and sometimes it can make you feel a little restless.
If as Christians, we are called to live as Jesus did, it seems as if those of us who are “caught” in this time should look to Jesus to see what He was doing during this time.
At camp, we focus on growing in the four-fold way, which is exactly how we know Jesus grew in those thirty years. He grew physically and mentally and in favor with God and Man (spiritually and relationally). If God was to grow in these ways and He was God Himself, how important is it that we could be growing in these same ways!
I love the story from the scripture above about Jesus. Not because He was lost or His parents were worried, but because I believe it gives us serious indication of what we should be doing in our time of “waiting.”
Jesus was in the temple court, sitting with the teachers listening and asking questions. Jesus had positioned himself in the temple- He was spending time in God’s presence. And Jesus was seeking wisdom! Often times I think we are inhibited from seeking wisdom because we believe that we know all there is to know. But if Jesus, God in skin, was seeking out the wise and using His time to learn and grow- isn’t that a sure sign it is important for us as well?!
The plans God has for your life will not look the exact same as Jesus, or for anyone else at that matter. He may not one day speak “start” over your ministry or job, but He does have a plan for you and it is set apart specifically for you. When that day comes, won’t you want to be completely ready to say yes to whatever it is God has for you? In the waiting, position yourself as Jesus did- in His presence and in a position of seeking wisdom.