Wisdom from God

“But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.” - ‭‭James‬ ‭3‬:‭17‬

Last week, I wrote about enduring trials based on James 1. This week, we continue our look into James but this time we will be looking into the end of chapter three. Here James is discussing wisdom. This week’s blog, much like last week, is a standalone blog post. We are not necessarily doing a study on James, although maybe we will sometime in the future. We find ourselves in James based on the fact that my wife and I are studying through it currently.

Wisdom is something we all value. To be seen as wise means people will value our knowledge, experience, and insight into certain issues. It means we will be sought after by others to be helpful to them in moments of difficulty. However, as Christians, we must be cautious to not view wisdom as a means for us to be prideful and arrogant. In fact, James argues that the wisdom of man is different than the wisdom from God. Christians, especially those in ministry or leadership roles, must lead with Godly wisdom.

Godly wisdom is presented in meekness (James 3:13). Jesus talks about meekness in Matthew 5:5 where He says, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” Meekness is defined as being gentle or humble. What James is getting at here is that one who is considered wise and knowledgeable (think of a pastor, teacher, or elder) must lead in humility. There must be an absence of pride, arrogance, selfishness, and a reliance on one’s own understanding. When you give into pride as one who is seen as a spiritual leader, you begin to either purposely or inadvertently make it more about yourself than about God.

What is the wisdom of man? James calls it “earthly, unspiritual, and demonic.” He goes on to say in verse 16, “For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.” The wisdom of man can also be seen by finding the opposing qualities of the wisdom from God. In verse 17, we read, “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.” By this list, it is safe to summarize that the wisdom of man is worldly, argumentative, brash, unreasonable, judgmental, rotten, biased, and insincere. As Christians, we must deny the wisdom of man. Much of our instinctual, fleshly responses to the world around us may be rooted in wisdom, but it is wisdom of man and not wisdom from God.

Wisdom from God is pure. It allows us to try to see others how Christ would see them. It is peaceable. It does not argue over words, credentials, or worldly status. It is gentle. It corrects and speaks truth in love. It does not boast in its knowledge. It is open to reason. It lends itself to being approachable, not closed off. It is full of mercy. It recognizes that we all need to desire mercy, because to desire judgment condemns us all. It is full of good fruits. It is backed in integrity. When we treat others well, we need not fear of being guilty of succumbing to the wisdom of man. It is impartial. It is resolute, unwavering, and not uncertain and unstable. It is sincere. Sincere Godly wisdom is a sign of sincere faith. When someone views themself as one who is intellectually above others and lords that knowledge over them, it is a sign of immaturity in their spiritual wisdom and insincerity in their faith.

At the end of the day, we as Christians must not look to the world for wisdom. We must not look to other men as sources of wisdom. We look to Christ for wisdom. We read His Word for wisdom. We hold our leaders to the biblical standard of Godly wisdom as well.