Bible lessons for persons with cognitive disabilities
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James 1:5-8 (© Jeff McNair)
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
Begin by talking about what wisdom is.
Some people lack wisdom, but it seems not all (IF any of you lacks wisdom). The answer to a lack of wisdom is to ask God who gives generously to all.
The way it works is, you lack, you ask God, you receive wisdom.
A cool thing about God is that he doesn't find fault before giving. The implication in the verse is that there is fault to be found, but God ignores it.
Example- Imagine you have a friend who always wants to borrow your bike. He asks yet again if he can borrow it. You say, "You know the last time you borrowed it, you brought it back a day late so I had to walk to work, and it was all dirty. I don't think I want to lend it to you again."
In the example, you had every right to not lend your bike to your friend because he doesn't take good care of it. Or maybe he asks to borrow money and he always wastes it on candy or dumb stuff and doesn't pay it back. But the bible says that God gives to us without finding fault. God doesn't say, "You know the last time I told you what to do when you asked for wisdom you didn't do it, so the heck with you!" NO, God will give wisdom again in the hopes that we will listen and then follow the guidance he gives.
There are two general types of wisdom, the wisdom shared in the bible, and what might be called "special wisdom" in a situation where you don't know what to do, and the bible isn't specific in its direction. Sometimes people will say, "I don't know whether I should sleep with my girlfriend, I will ask God what I should do." God probably won't give you special wisdom in that situation, because the bible is clear that you should not sleep with your girlfriend till she is your wife. A different example might be that you have a boyfriend and you are trying to decide whether to marry him or not. The bible is not specific in saying "You should marry Harry but not Chuck." It is in these cases that God will direct us with special wisdom, through the council of Godly friends, or just a feeling of confidence about a decision.
When you ask God for something, you must believe and not doubt. Some times people who ask don't believe.
Doubters should not expect to receive anything from the Lord
The implication is that they may still receive something, but shouldn't expect to receive anything.
Double minded people are doubters
What does it mean to be double minded?
Example- Put two chairs together and tell the group to pretend it is a car. Choose someone to be the driver. You might tease the driver of the car saying he is a "crazy driver" or something to that effect. They will love it. Now, suppose the driver called you up and asked if you wanted to go to the store with him. You say sure, but when he arrives, you can't decide. You sit in the car and then get up and then sit and then get up, all the while saying "I want to go with you," "No I don't." After a minute the group will be laughing at how silly you are being. Turn to the group and then say, "That is what it is like to be double minded." Only, sometimes we believe in God and sometimes we doubt. But God doesn't want us to be double minded.
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© Jeff McNair