May 8, 2020
John Kwasny
13 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. 15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. (James 3:13-18)
In a recent sermon, I compared and contrasted two seemingly similar terms: A wise man and a wise guy. While being called a “wise man” is quite the compliment, being referred to as a “wise guy”—not so much. The wise guy acts like he has superior intelligence, but it’s only a façade. A wise man understands the truth and applies it accurately and precisely. In this ongoing pandemic, we need many more wise men (and women) and far fewer wise guys. More importantly, Christians are called to be the “wise and understanding” among us, in a world of fools and wise guys.
Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, James has a far superior way of comparing the two types of wisdom claims: True wisdom comes “from above” and false wisdom is “earthly, unspiritual—and even demonic.” Wisdom from above has particular characteristics according to this passage: It is meek (vs. 13), pure, peaceable, gentle, reasonable, merciful, impartial, and sincere (vs. 17). On the other hand, wisdom from below is marked by jealousy, selfish ambition, disorder, and every vile practice (vs. 16). What a dramatic difference! But, more importantly, this contrast directs us to look for the fruit in the person’s life who claims to be wise, rather than simply evaluate the content of the wisdom itself. In other words, true wisdom is simply part of the godly life—a life that displays the fruit of the Spirit. That should make sense, right? Why would the Spirit give a person wisdom--but not love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, etc.? Wisdom is fully connected to a life of walking in the Spirit, keeping in step with Him.
Unfortunately, we tend to consider someone to be “wise” if he or she speaks intelligently, shows forth knowledge, has lots of education and the right degrees, and wears some sort of scholarly title. But does that automatically make one wise? Not if the conduct of his or her life says otherwise. Sure, he or she can be very smart and well-educated, but that should not lead us to assume he or she is actually wise. And, if wisdom is defined as the right application of knowledge, then we should value wisdom far more than simple intelligence. God’s Word clearly places the gaining of “wisdom from above” as the highest of pursuits.
So, let’s make this practical in our current worldwide pandemic. We have been told repeatedly for months that we must follow the “science,” the “data,” the “research,” wherever it leads us. To go against any of these “facts”--this educated knowledge--is to be selfish, foolish, rebellious, and unloving. Yet, bare data does not necessarily connect to wisdom from above. For example, the “science” may say that there’s a greater risk of contracting Covid-19 if you leave your house and gather in a group over ten people. But does that information give you any wisdom whether or not you should leave your house? Very little. We must all seek Godly wisdom from above to determine how we should live in these perilous times. While it is always tempting to seek the “intelligent” people to tell us what to do when it comes to things like health and safety, we need to be looking for wisdom that is from above.
Now, please don’t hear that I am somehow a man against science or data or research—I have spent my life pursuing knowledge and truth. And, I am not saying we Christians should be ignorant to the facts and simply follow what we think God is telling us. No, we are to seek wisdom wherever it is found—but only wisdom from above, not below. That’s an extremely difficult task in a time of disinformation, fear, and political agendas. But, in another sense, it is extremely simple: We can find wisdom only in Christ, seeking the Spirit’s help, and praying without ceasing. We must trust that God will give us wisdom if we ask for it. Ultimately, wisdom from above will bring the PEACE and understanding that we need in these anxious times!