GROWING IN WISDOM
Opening Prayer
Holy Spirit, open my heart to receive truth from Scripture today. Help me to learn from and apply what you show me.
Read JAMES 3:13–18
Two Kinds of Wisdom
13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15 Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
17 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. 18 Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
Who in your life has offered you wisdom? What is it about their lives that enabled them to offer it to you?Not surprisingly, research suggests that wisdom doesn’t always grow with age (see Job’s question, 12:12), nor is it related to intelligence. Rather, wisdom is associated with inherent character traits that pursue moral virtue and emotional self-control.
Charles Spurgeon, a famous nineteenth-century preacher, explained it like this: ‘Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. To know is not to be wise. Many men know a great deal and are all the greater fools for it. There is no fool so great a fool as a knowing fool. But to know how to use knowledge is to have wisdom.’*
Our desire as disciples of Jesus is to pursue wisdom that enables us to view life from God’s perspective, wisdom reflected in the virtues described by James (v. 17), fruit borne only by walking closely with God. Proverbs reminds us that ‘the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom’ (9:10). The way of wisdom begins with our reverence and knowledge of God, a knowledge that shapes our lives as we seek to reflect the Lord’s glory, being transformed into his likeness (see 2 Corinthians 3:18). This is true wisdom, wisdom that can indeed grow with age if we prayerfully prioritize our relationship with Jesus.
Apply
Where do you see your need for greater wisdom in your day-to-day life?
Closing prayer
Almighty God, help me to pursue true wisdom, the wisdom that comes from you. Make my attitudes and conduct reflect those of Jesus and bear lasting fruit.
*Charles H Spurgeon, Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Volume 17
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