The primary definition of the word wisdom is, “understanding – the knowledge and experience needed to make sensible decisions and judgments or the good sense shown by the decisions and judgments made.”
James 3 (NLT)
13If you are wise and understand God's ways, live a life of steady goodness so that only good deeds will pour forth. And if you don't brag about the good you do, then you will be truly wise! 14But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your hearts, don't brag about being wise. That is the worst kind of lie. 15For jealousy and selfishness are not God's kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and motivated by the Devil. 16For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and every kind of evil.
17But the wisdom that comes from heaven 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 partiality and is always sincere. 18And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of goodness.
James is definitely a man of action. In the first chapter of his letter, he tells us that the message that God has planted in our hearts is not just information to be stored away, it is something to be obeyed and acted on. (James 1:21-22) He goes on to tell us that we should quit looking at faith as a noun (person, place, or thing), and begin thinking of it as a verb (something we do). (James 2:17) In this passage, he begins to look at wisdom. Most of us look at wisdom as an accumulation of knowledge, but that doesn’t cover the entire meaning of the word. The definition taken from a dictionary makes it clear that the word carries a connotation of action. It speaks of the judgments and decisions made as the test of wisdom, thereby implying that understanding without action is just an accumulation of knowledge.
In this passage, James describes two types of wisdom – that which comes from God and that which is not of God. The wisdom imparted by God creates positive action. The good deeds that result from the understanding of God’s ways accompanied by humility are the proof of wisdom. He goes on to say that there is a wisdom that comes from the Devil. While there is knowledge and experience that evidence themselves in sensible decisions, the decisions are made for personal gain, at the expense of others. Notice that James says that the wisdom motivated by the enemy creates jealousy and selfish ambitions that result in disorder.
Just as we can identify faith by the actions it produces, we can also identify wisdom by the impact is has. James tells us that true wisdom comes from heaven. There are no ulterior motives involved in the decisions made by one with this type of wisdom. The advice of one with true wisdom is impartial and sincere, always looking out for the well-being of others. The wisdom that comes from God is always accompanied with humility.
Why is this important to me today? We are to actively seek wisdom. The first two chapters of Proverbs are dedicated to the subject of wisdom. Obviously, true wisdom comes from God. However, Scripture tells us that we can learn from other sources. We all know that we are to honor our parents, but Proverbs 1:8-9 tells us that we are also to learn from them. While the beginning of our quest for knowledge comes from our respect for God, the things we learn from our parents are essential in our quest for wisdom. As is the case with much of our accumulated knowledge, we also learn from those who have gone before us. Proverbs 2:20 tells us, “Follow the steps of good men instead, and stay on the paths of righteousness.”
Christianity is not a spectator sport. When God plants the Holy Spirit in our hearts, the fun is just beginning. Jesus didn’t tell us to sit and wait, he told us to go and do. Our salvation, our faith, and any wisdom God plants in us will manifest itself in our actions. Don’t just sit there, fight the good fight and finish the race.
We serve an awesome God!!!!!
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