Leading in uncharted waters can be daunting. While frustration and discouragement sometimes seize young leaders, whose prior experiences are few, challenging situations should not paralyze our ability to lead well. A critical quality for mature leadership is wisdom.

However, wisdom in a biblical sense differs from many of the ideas about wisdom that permeate our culture. After all, the basis for God-given wisdom is a relationship with God, rather than mere human learning. Three principles of biblical wisdom inform ministerial leadership.

1. God’s wisdom will go where your experience has not. God’s wisdom stretches further than your experience ever will. Every generation of church leadership has faced unique and seemingly insurmountable challenges. The Book of Acts outlines the growth and maturation of the newly commissioned Church. It did not take long for the Church to encounter tension.

One of the first recorded conflicts of the Early Church involved the allocation of resources and unresolved prejudice (Acts 6:1-2). In response to this issue, the apostles appointed a team of seven competent leaders. Notably, one of the main qualifications for their appointment was that they be “full of the Spirit and wisdom” (Acts 6:3).

The Early Church recognized that to solve an unprecedented problem, it needed unparalleled wisdom — and this came from the Spirit. God’s wisdom goes beyond our natural abilities and allows us to lead confidently in places we have never been.

When facing a new problem, the first thing that comes to mind to solve it is not always God’s wisdom. While reflecting on poor leadership choices, we often say hindsight is 20/20. But the Bible challenges us to have a different paradigm in leadership: With the Holy Spirit, foresight is 20/20. God fully understands the unknown ministerial terrain He is guiding His leaders into and is willing to give insight for boldly leading in those places. All of us face circumstances we feel unprepared to navigate.

I’m in my late-20s, a full-time Ph.D. student with a year of marriage under my belt, and a soon-to-be dad. If I am honest, there is a lot in my life I feel I’m just winging. Yet I find encouragement when I recognize that God is with us in every new adventure.

On the night before Jesus’ crucifixion, He promised the disciples He would not leave them as orphans (John 14:18). Jesus kept His Word, sending His Spirit to equip and lead the disciples in His physical absence (John 14:15-17). I believe a significant expression of this promise comes to us through the wisdom Jesus gives us to fulfill His work (John 14:13-15).

God’s wisdom goes beyond our natural abilities and allows us to lead confidently in places we have never been.

God’s wisdom allows us to lean on His power rather than our perceived competency. As a result, Spirit-endowed wisdom uniquely glorifies God (1 Corinthians 1:20-31).

2. God’s wisdom provides stability in unstable places. Another characteristic of God’s wisdom is its exceptional ability to offer stability. Acts 6 introduces a young leader named Stephen who was “full of faith and of the Holy Spirit.” The Church appointed Stephen to assist in resolving the issue of food distribution. He developed a flourishing ministry, performing signs and wonders (Acts 6:5,8).

Soon after, Stephen found himself in a place of conflict with religious leadership. Luke records that Stephen spoke with such Spirit-empowered wisdom that those who opposed him couldn’t stand up against it (Acts 6:10). Stephen had experience and success in ministry, but it was God’s wisdom that served as his source of stability in a very tense situation.

There is no shortage of complex situations in our culture. Stories of backlash over spoken words in public arenas are ubiquitous. God’s wisdom helps us maintain stability when everything around us is uncertain. It seems God’s wisdom even guided Stephen on when to speak and when to remain silent (6:10,15). For this reason, I value and seek out God’s wisdom in tense times of leadership.

Now — spoiler alert — despite Stephen’s wisdom and Spirit empowerment, the opposition killed him (Acts 7:57-60). However, even as he faced death, Stephen calmly and confidently looked to God. Similarly, through God’s wisdom and enabling, we can maintain a stability in leadership that transcends the overwhelming instability of our environments.

3. God’s wisdom enables you to look more like Jesus. God’s wisdom brings out the best qualities in decision making and shapes us into the image of Christ. The Book of Acts records that along with Stephen, one of the leaders in the Early Church was James, the half-brother of Jesus (Acts 15:13; 21:18).

In the biblical book that bears his name, James outlines qualities of God-given wisdom: “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere” (James 3:17, ESV).

These are desirable qualities for any leader, and they reflect the person and work of Jesus. When reading this passage, it becomes clear why Paul goes so far as to say that Jesus is the embodiment of God’s wisdom (1 Corinthians 1:24,30). Having God’s wisdom is more than just knowing the right thing to do at the right time; it is leading in a way that reflects God’s character.

Clearly, biblical wisdom is not about what you know, but who you know. The best part is, God’s wisdom is always available, at any time, to anyone who asks for it (James 1:5-6).

Regardless of what leadership obstacle you may be losing sleep over, God’s wisdom is available to help guide you through every new season. His wisdom is not diminished by a deficit of age, education, experience or pedigree. Furthermore, exercising God’s wisdom establishes stability in inhospitable situations and allows us to demonstrate God’s character in the midst of them.

Finally, God’s wisdom is valuable simply for the fact that it helps us better resemble the One who calls us to lead.