James
3:13-17
“Who is wise and understanding among you? Let
him show by good conduct that his works are done
in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have
bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the
truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For
where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.
But the wisdom that is from above is first pure,
then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits,
without partiality and without hypocrisy”. (NKJV)
This week we are studying wisdom and, as I read this verse, I
wondered what is wisdom? When I first think of wisdom, I think of knowledge;
but wisdom is more than just knowledge. My bible defines it as knowledge,
insight and judgment, but that definition didn’t feel like it was the correct
definition. It felt like a partial definition. James 3:13 states, “Let him show
by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom” than it hit me. Wisdom is
knowledge, insight and good judgment, but it also needs to be expressed for it
to be proven. If a wise man doesn’t prove his wisdom through his actions, than
how do we know that he is wise. And what would be the point of his wisdom
except to selfishly enhance only his own life.
The unwise have “bitter envy and self-seeking hearts” where
“confusion and every evil thing” are. When I think of this, I think of our
flesh. Our flesh is self-seeking, power hungry and bitterness due to the envy
of covetousness. This is our nature. Satan does not have power over us, he only
knows the weakness of the flesh and tempts us to fall.
But to combat this, God gives us wisdom and understanding. He
gives us “pure” wisdom that gives us peace, gentleness, joy, mercy and
humility. Ecclesiastes 7:12 says “wisdom gives life to those who have it”. I
want this wisdom. I want this life.
To apply what I have learned and to start to obtain this
wisdom, I am going to write down a verse on wisdom and tape it to the wall.
Every time I see it, I am going to read it and pray for God’s wisdom.
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