Day 7 Life’s Key – Wisdom
Who is wise and understanding among you? …But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere James 3:13-18
James doesn’t think of wisdom the way we think of it today: the best use of knowledge. In his thinking, wisdom is both the key to steering a straight course through life’s experiences (1:5) and the key to the basic changes of the heart that allow God’s new life to be released in us. Wisdom is knowing God and living God’s way.
Our passage above describes this God-given wisdom and our responsibility to seek it. This wisdom has to be placed at the very centre of our lives so we can live by it.
James brings two lifestyles into sharp contrast – one from above and the other from below. The latter might claim to be wisdom in action but it fails the test.
In personal relationships bitter envy is self-centred, critical and manipulative. It divides people and leads to cliques and factions. Selfish ambition uses divisive means for self-promotion. Both terms are opposite the meekness real wisdom creates in us.
James describes this kind of living as ‘earthly, unspiritual, of the devil’ ‘Unspiritual’ literally means ‘soulish.’ James might be seeing these as a downward progression. What begins as ‘earthly’ finishes up being ‘of the devil.’ ‘Disorder and every evil practice’ are inevitable because to act this way is to ‘deny the truth.’
In contrast ‘the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.’
Against a spirit of harsh, abrasive, self concern that creates an inability to get on with others, wisdom from above is pure (holy), peace-loving (and peace-making), considerate (gentle, tolerant, compliant, willing to yield), submissive (open to reason), full of mercy and good fruit, impartial (unbiased, not able to be divided) and sincere (genuine).
These characteristics are hard to acquire and hard to keep. They can be sustained but only at great personal cost. The steady habits of prayer, a continuing personal application of Scripture and strong self discipline are virtually essential to seeing them grow.
Review the characteristics one at a time. Think through how far each has been able to grow in your life. Take the two you are weakest in and make a habit of asking God to especially grow these.
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