Unearthly Wisdom

REFERENCE: James 3:17-18 But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. 18 And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.

Observation: There are so many sources for “wisdom”; Oprah, Dr. Phil, Self-help books, counselors galore. We need to know how to judge these and know what is real wisdom and is just the speculation of this world. What are the hallmarks of real wisdom?

1. It’s pure. It will not lead you into moral compromise. There is a form of worldly wisdom that says; “if it makes you happy and you feel like it is the right thing to do, then do it.” That is not Godly wisdom when it leads to immoral decision making.

2. It’s gentle. Our friends may suggest that we give that person who is bugging us a piece of our mind. That it is OK to just let our anger rip once in a while. That’s is not Godly wisdom. It is always gentle.

3. It is full of mercy. God’s wisdom leads us to forgive. Some advice in the world teaches us to hold on to grudges and give others what they deserve rather than mercy.

4. It is full of good deeds. We may think, we may even be taught that the world revolves around us and our desires. We may think that wisdom is all about getting “what we deserve” out of life. God tells us that His kind of wisdom drives us back to service and caring for others instead.

5. It shows no favoritism. The success guru will give us the wisdom of caring only for those who can help us get ahead. They may suggest not getting bogged down with those who will impede our race to the top. God’s wisdom reminds us that we are judged by how we treat the “least of these”. God will reward us and advance us when we learn to treat everyone as beloved brothers and sisters.

6. It is always sincere. We may hear that it is not wise to let people know what we are really thinking. They may suggest to us that it is best to pretend to be something we are not. God’s wisdom reminds us to change the inside, not the outside. We ought to act with love and kindness because we are loving and kind.

7. God’s wisdom makes us peacemakers. Some may advise us to “stand up” to others, that we should let them know where we stand with force (and expletives, if needed). God tells us to love and to be willing to be taken advantage of for His sake. Certainly Godly wisdom does not dictate that we be doormats but it does require us to put our life and reputation in God’s hands rather than in our own ability to fight for our rights.

Application/Confession: Of all of these the hardest for me is to be gentle at all times. I find myself getting frustrated and I lash out. I need to not do that. I want to live in God’s wisdom and be gentle.

PRAYER: Lord, thank You that You have wisdom for me. Help me to live out gentle wisdom and You direct me to.