Worldly Wisdom or God’s Wisdom (Part 1)

“Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.”James 3:13

What is wisdom all about? What is the difference between the world’s wisdom and the wisdom of God?

One of the primary themes of the book of Proverbs is the contrast between the wise man and the fool and shows the contrast between wisdom or irrational foolishness. James, in the New Testament, teaches us wisdom in application.

James shows us that we need to see the value of learning and not get trapped in foolish thinking.  If we don’t learn from God, we will be under the world’s control and keep repeating the same mistakes over and over. If we refuse to learn and grow, we are what the Bible calls the “fool,” taking the wrong direction in life and completely missing God’s best for us (Luke 7:35; 1 Corinthians 2:14; James 2:14-26).

Wisdom is not facts and figures, our education or our intelligence level, it is about how we respond to God’s truth.

We have to ask ourselves, why would I want to be a fool and miss out on so much? Does my life reflect wisdom or foolishness? As James points out, how we use our words and live our lives shows how God’s wisdom is impacting us.

Wisdom does not boast and brag. James refers to the concept of being “broken” like a wild, untamed horse that is brought under control. The spirit and strength of the horse are still there, however, its focus and purpose has changed. The horse is now usable; the same works for us when we are broken from our ways to his way. We are called to be broken into the Lord, so we are under his influence and can be used by him, like a beautiful horse and rider.

James states that real wisdom is essential for Christian living. For the mature Christian, we should seek God’s wisdom and do all we can to learn his precepts. We must not rely on our instincts and feelings in place of wisdom.

Read an earlier post by Richard here.