HOW TO RECOGNIZE GODLY WISDOM
James 3:13-17 NKJV
13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. 16 For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. 17 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.
James makes a clear distinction between the wisdom of this world and the wisdom of God. And he also provides a list that spells out the characteristics of God’s wisdom.
If someone claims to be a wise and understanding person, it will be evident in their actions and conduct. Remember, this is the same James who declared that the doers of God’s Word are the only blessed ones. And that faith is visible in action that corresponds with belief. So James is definitely an action kind of guy. Don’t just talk about it. James says it should be showing up in our lives.
James says that if someone has bitter envy and self-seeking in their hearts, they are not acting in the wisdom that is from God. Rather, envy and self-seeking or selfish ambition are lower-level wisdom. As in really low. As in earthy, sensual, and demonic. Other translations reveal that this wisdom is from the earth, not heaven. It is unspiritual or derived from the senses. And demonic is from evil spirits. It doesn’t get much lower than that.
Another view of strife or selfish ambition is contention, rivalry, and strife motivated by self-interest. And that describes how this world works. But that is how the world works, not God’s kingdom. The way the world works produces instability, commotion, and tumult. Not to mention, every evil kind of work. This is the type of wisdom that we see operating today in our current political environment. I am not seeing godly wisdom evident on either side of the aisle. This becomes more pronounced when you see what is going on in our nation compared to what God’s wisdom, the wisdom from above, looks like.
The wisdom from above is pure, peaceable, and gentle. Or without defilement or contamination, peace-loving and fair, appropriate and fitting. The wisdom from above, not from this earth, is willing to yield. That, to me, is one of the major characteristics of godly wisdom: a willingness to yield, to listen, to be approachable. Still with me? Godly wisdom is full of mercy, which means it is not harsh and judgmental. The wisdom from above is full of good actions, and it produces good things. Someone operating in godly wisdom is going to leave the room better than they found it. This wisdom from above does not show favoritism. James had already discussed the problem of showing favoritism to the rich in the second chapter of James. He is pretty straightforward with his rebuke of the church. Favoritism is not the wisdom of God. And the wisdom of God is sincere, not hypocritical. God’s wisdom is going to act the same way when people are watching and when no one is around.
APPLICATION
This is a great list. It is highly beneficial for discerning if someone is walking in the wisdom of heaven or the wisdom of the earth. And this list provides a marvelous checklist for our own lives. There are some aspects of God’s wisdom that I can sure step up in. Willing to yield comes to mind immediately.
We can also see where this wisdom from above is relational gold. Imagine how many disputes could be solved if just one person were to walk in this wisdom. And if you have two people making a sincere effort to apply God’s wisdom to their situation, many, if not most, relational problems will disappear. So next time you find yourself in the middle of some stuff, ask the question: What does the wisdom from above say about this situation?
PRAYER
Lord, help me to walk more and more in Your wisdom, the way You walked. Reveal to me where I can apply heaven’s wisdom to my situation.