Wisdom

Blessed is the One who finds Wisdom

James 3: 13-17 (NASB)

Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom.

If you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and be in defiance of the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. But wisdom from Above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.

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The Bible has a lot to say about wisdom and seeking wisdom. In fact, in the King James Version, the word "wisdom" is found in 222 verses and is used 234 times. After a fair amount of research and review, this is the best and clearest definition I found to describe “wisdom”:

Wisdom is knowledge of what is right coupled with good judgment

According to today’s verses, there are four types of wisdom:

• Earthly wisdom, represented by common sense and inborn instincts, such as a newborn mammal’s ability to suckle to survive and the ability to sense danger.

• Intellectual wisdom, the ability to apply book-learned info to real live situations.

• Devilish wisdom is not really ‘wisdom.’ It does not come from Above, but from evil sources. Those without true God in their heart will demonstrate behaviors listed by James including bitterness, jealousy, selfishness, arrogance, and boasting. They will waste hours of time on unnecessary activities and slandering the truth. In fact, James even calls these activities ‘demonic.’ (vs 15)

• Heavenly or Holy wisdom, in contract, is wisdom that comes from God. It is gentle, willing to yield (be reasonable), full of compassion and bears good fruit (good deed). Heavenly wisdom is not self-righteous or self-serving. It can be proven, stands strong against reproof, and is unwavering through the test of time. It is God-center, Word-centered and is seen in those who aspire to live a pure and holy life.

What does it mean to be wise?

People often equate wisdom with intelligence or being knowledgeable. With a little evaluation, it quickly becomes apparent that the world is full of really smart, even brilliant people, who would not be described as “wise” and definitely not spiritually wise. They have no grasp of the deeper meaning of complex subjects. They have no spiritual awareness or depth of understanding to fall back on.

Wisdom implies more than merely being able to process information in a logical way. Wisdom is the ability to assimilate factual learning with life experience and then filter the result through Biblical principles and implement a decision using God-directed good judgement.

To be wise is to have deep insight and understanding. To be spiritually wise is to make decisions in consultation with Jesus.

Can wisdom be taught?

Becoming wise is a personal quest. Proverbs 2:6 tells us what we find is what God gives. “For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.” In other words, the wisdom we need does not rise up from within us; it comes down from God above as we seek His guidance.

Proverbs 3: 13-15

How blessed is the man who finds Wisdom, and the man who gains understanding. For her profit is better than the profit of silver, And her gain better than fine gold. She is more precious than jewels; And nothing you desire compares with her.  

Today’s Prayer

Dear heavenly Father, we want to please You. We want to honor You and bring glory to Your name. We don’t always know how to do that. In Your Word, You encourage us to pray for wisdom. So today, we pray specifically for the gift of heavenly, holy wisdom that only comes from Above.

The more we seek Your ways and seek Your direction for every decision we make, from the smallest choices to life-altering decisions that can change the course of history, the more Your wisdom fills our life. The more we ask for wisdom, the more we seek Your will for our life, the more the Right doors will open, fulfilling every earthly challenge that comes before us. We will apply Your Word to our daily circumstances. We ask for Your wisdom to be a gift to others. Through the lens of Your wisdom, may our paths be made clear. We pray each choice we make will reflect Your will for our life. In Jesus’ Name, amen.