Wise Understanding

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. ~ Jame 3:13

I like how James opens chapter 3 talking about the need for all of us to control our tongues and then asks, “who is wise and understanding among you?”  I don’t think that was by coincidence, but rather he was telling us that one way we could show our wisdom is by our actions and not our words.  Sometimes we need to be quiet and let our lives be our example.  Proverbs 17:28 says, “Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent, and discerning if they hold their tongues.”  Buying into the world’s wisdom that is mostly understood by senses, emotions, feelings and intellect is not necessarily bad, but if you put that wisdom before God’s you will be most likely disappointed.  Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?”  So we cannot always follow our heart as the world would tell us to do.  Before we can be considered wise, we must fear the Lord.  Not fear Him as be scared of Him, but fear Him as meaning to have great reverence, or respect for Him.  To be in awe of Him.  We must put Him in His rightful place as the leader in our lives.  The headship.  By putting ourselves to the side, and humbly coming to Christ for His guidance we show wisdom.  Many people believe that wisdom comes from knowledge and intellect, but Godly wisdom comes from a humble heart that lives out the daily life in pursuit of God’s righteousness.  True wisdom has nothing to do with earthly knowledge, but everything to do with our relationship to God and how we live that out.  To lead a life of submission to God will produce a life of wisdom through humility and gentleness.  We will act and live our lives out according to the wisdom we follow; we will act worldly and for knowledge and ambition, or we will act in kindness, in goodness, in humility, in love for others and in Christ first.  The only way I know to get Godly wisdom is to seek God py prayer, studying His word, and living the way God has instructed us by putting Him first and humbling ourselves before Him.  The wisdom we want from Him will be a light to others by our good conduct and our humble attitude.  This is the good life. ~ Amen