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When Wisdom Isn’t For You

By Jenni Catron

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I've prayed for wisdom for as long as I can remember. Both because I know that I desperately need it but also because it seems like the responsible thing to do as a leader. But what if praying for wisdom is not the greatest prayer we can pray? What if we've missed a significant point in our prayers for wisdom?

Recently I was reading through the New Testament journeys of Paul. As a multi-site leader, I find Paul's influence with the early churches quite fascinating. His life is a case study in the earliest form of multi-site church leadership. Each epistle begins with words of encouragement, instruction and prayer. And while I've read these pages numerous times, his words to the church at Ephesus in Ephesians 1 carried a new perspective for me:

"I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints." Ephesians 1:17-18

Paul prays specifically that God would equip these leaders with wisdom. Paul doesn't pray, "God give me wisdom so that I can give them good direction". No, he prays that God would give the Ephesians wisdom and revelation to navigate the challenges they were facing.

In Proverbs 2 Solomon teaches us the value of wisdom: through wisdom we will understand the fear of the Lord, find the knowledge of God and understand righteousness and justice. "When wisdom enters your heart, and knowledge is pleasant to your soul, Discretion will preserve you; Understanding will keep you, to deliver you from the way of evil, from the man who speaks perverse things, from those who leave the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness." (2:10-13).

As leaders we naturally feel the responsibility to give direction and provide wisdom for those we lead. I often pray that God will give me wisdom so that I can lead others well, but Paul approached this differently. Paul isn't praying that God would give him wisdom to lead them better. He's praying that God would give the Ephesians the Spirit of wisdom and revelation.

I can't help but wonder if the reason that Paul prays so deliberately for wisdom for the Ephesians is that he had no other choice. Written while in prison, Paul knew his influence and opportunities for communication and direction were limited. Perhaps those limits forced him to approach his leadership from a completely different perspective. In praying for the Spirit of wisdom for the Ephesians, Paul was praying for so much more. He knew that with wisdom would come all the promises from Proverbs 2.

What if rather than attempting to impart wisdom to those we lead, we began praying for wisdom to enter their hearts? What if we were secure enough in our leadership, to not be needed for the wisdom that we bring but prayed fervently that God would give wisdom to our teams?

As leaders, are you praying for God to impart wisdom to those you lead... directly to those you lead and not necessarily through you?

What would happen if you did?

Jenni Catron serves as the Executive Director of Cross Point Church in Nashville, TN, an 8-year old multi-site church. She leads the staff of Cross Point and oversees the ministry of its five campuses. Prior to joining the staff of Cross Point, she worked as Artist Development Director in the Christian music industry for 9 years. Jenni’s passion is to lead well and to inspire, equip and encourage others to do the same. She is the founder of Cultivate Her, a community whose purpose is to “connect, engage and inspire” women leaders. She speaks at conferences and churches nationwide, seeking to help others develop their leadership gifts and lead confidently in the different spheres of influence God has granted them. Jenni blogs at www.jennicatron.tv and www.cultivateher.com and contributes to a number of other online publications as well. Jenni loves a fabulous cup of tea, great books, learning the game of tennis and hanging out with her husband and their border collie.

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