James 3:13-18
At the close of the third chapter, James makes the point that if we are ever to put our faith into action through both our works and our words, we will wisdom to know how to do so. However, the wisdom that is necessary for a solid foundation in life is not the kind of wisdom that the world can provide. Instead, it is the wisdom that comes from God alone. James makes a distinction between godly wisdom versus the wisdom of the world. There is man’s wisdom, then there is God’s wisdom.
Never have we needed true wisdom any more than we do today. James says that the true wisdom is the kind that comes from above. All of us need this wisdom, don’t we? Men, we need wisdom to know how to lead our families and to live with our wives with spiritual understanding. Moms and dads need this wisdom for training up their children in the way they should go, especially in a smartphone world. Someone has said we live in a world of smart phones, but foolish people.
Those who are young need wisdom. The most important and life altering decisions are not made when we are old, when we have experience and perspective. They’re made when we are young. Where will I go off to school? What career will I pursue in life? Who will I marry? These are the decisions that we begin to make in our late teens and early twenties. Surely, young men and women need the kind of wisdom that James describes. The wisdom of the world makes decisions from a limited and time bound perspective. Because it ignores eternity, it is very shortsighted. God’s wisdom, however, views life from God’s perceptive as revealed in His Word. It always keeps eternity at the forefront of one’s thinking.
What kind of wisdom is to be found in your life right now? Is it the wisdom of the world, or is it God’s wisdom?
For more, read Proverbs 2:6-8; Colossians 1:9-10
