James 3:13: “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.”
Over the next several blogs, we are going to be examining wisdom. In James 3:13-28, James describes two types of wisdom: Earthly and heavenly.
If you truly grasp what James is saying in this passage, your life will never be the same. Not just because God’s Word can do that, but because the principles that James lays forward in this passage are so foundational to our lives. If we are off a little bit here, it can send us on a trajectory that will lead to heartache, pain, sorrow, bitterness, and unhappiness.
I’m going to ask you to take an inventory of yourself. Self-reflection is never fun, especially when you are using Scripture as a mirror. The fundamental question I am going to have you ask yourself today is this: WHAT KIND OF WISDOM IS GUIDING YOUR LIFE?
We all need wisdom, some more than others.
There is more to wisdom than mere knowledge. Knowledge involves the possession of facts or information. Wisdom is the proper application of that knowledge or the skillful use of knowledge. There are educated fools! Put another way: Wisdom is how we negotiate the highway of life. So, if you are unhappy with your life’s direction, listen to God’s Word, learn it, and obey!
Numerous biblical passages deal with wisdom, and we are going to get to James, but first, I’d like to go to one of the books of Wisdom from the Bible, Proverbs.
Proverbs 1:1-7:
The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:
for gaining wisdom and instruction; for understanding words of insight;
for receiving instruction in prudent behavior, doing what is right and just and fair;
for giving prudence to those who are simple, knowledge and discretion to the young—
let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance—
for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
What is contained in the book of Proverbs is wisdom, or rather, opportunities to display wisdom. Christian, start reading a chapter from Proverbs every day. Soak your life in them. Listen to them, obey them, and you will save yourself a lot of trouble down the road. Today is September 1, so read Proverbs 1 today, Proverbs 2 tomorrow; you see where this is going?
We will get to James 3:13 next time.
Some questions to consider:
-What kind of wisdom is guiding your life?
-When you are trying to make an important life decision, do you go to the Bible for help?
-What happens when you start listening to the timeless truth of Scripture instead of the world’s systems?
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash
Scott Maxon 