Wisdom from Heaven
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. James 3:17
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In this passage James contrasts human wisdom with heavenly wisdom. Bragging about good deeds or trying to look better than others, he says, isn’t wisdom, and neither is doing anything else motivated by selfishness or envy. The wisdom that comes from God is 180 degrees different: pure, peaceable, and gentle—at all times. It is easily entreated, shows no partiality, and is always sincere. Those with godly wisdom are merciful and willing to yield to others, and they produce good fruit in their relationships.
How can we ever attain this? First, by realizing that we were never meant to tackle life with our own human wisdom. Real wisdom, the kind we desperately need, belongs only to God, so we need to ask him for it and, even more, we need to grow in wisdom by learning to function in unity with God. Then we begin to see things from his viewpoint. As we acknowledge our need for his wisdom and ask him for it, he will give it (James 1:5). Do you have a decision to make or a challenging situation at work or in your family? Seek God’s wisdom today.
Prayers:
THANK YOU, LORD, for your wisdom that is peace-loving, gentle, merciful, and willing to yield to others. Thank you for the provision of your wisdom day by day as I abide in you. Show me what to do in the difficult situations I am facing today. I need your heavenly view of things. Thank you for making your divine wisdom available to me through your indwelling Holy Spirit!
Quotes:
Wisdom is seeing life from God’s perspective.
Bill Gothard (b. 1934)
The One Year Bible Readings for today are: Ezekiel 39:1–40:27; James 2:18–3:18; Psalm 118:1-18 and Proverbs 28:2.
