Comparing Godly Wisdom to Worldly Wisdom

James 3:13-18 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15 Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. 16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. 17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18 Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.  

How might you identify a wise person? Are they someone who has great intelligence and is on the cutting edge of their field? Someone who can solve difficult problems? Someone who is well-versed, traveled, well-rounded in the things of the world? We might include all of these in a definition of wisdom, but when James kicks off this section wondering about wisdom we need remember that from a Biblical point of view true wisdom always begins with and is founded on "the fear of the Lord" (Prov. 1:7). In other words, godly wisdom is primarily spiritual and moral in nature and only secondarily a matter of intellect. It begins with faith, respect, knowledge, and obedience towards God and then branches out into all different areas, applications, and fields of study in which wisdom is demanded. This means that the first glimpse of wisdom you'll find in a person is not in their spouting off how much they know, but rather in how they live their life. Theirs is a life directed towards the Lord as evidenced by goodness and humility.

What a marked contrast this is from the way the world and our own sinful flesh look at wisdom! These say that one's wisdom and intelligence are their own personal possession to be used for self-advancement. Why do most people get degrees?--very often so they can move up the pay scale and climb the ladder of authority. As Solomon says in Ecclesiastes, "I saw that all labor and all achievement spring from man’s envy of his neighbor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind" (4:4). Likewise, James has no praise for this "one-up" brand of self-seeking wisdom that is aimed entirely at earthly matters, calling it "earthly, unspiritual, and demonic."

But we Christians should not be so naïve as to think that we do not or cannot fall into the same foolish traps because we do! Every time we boast about ourselves and how great we are and what we have accomplished, we reveal what we are really looking for: praise from people and being a notch above the rest. And if we do not confess our envy and oust our ambition, it will rot our souls and eat away at any organization, and especially the church, from within. As with all our sins, the only remedy for envy and ambition is the grace and forgiveness of God in Christ that “resets” our worldview and brings us back to zero where we realize that God is greatest and everything we are is a gift to be used in his service and for the benefit of our neighbor, what James describes as "sowing in peace."

When such is our spiritual foundation and motivation we have accessed "the wisdom that comes from above" into which is incorporated godly qualities of every kind: purity, serenity, a supple willingness to bend towards others’ points of view, mercy, impartiality, and sincerity. The goal of heavenly wisdom and the truly wise person is not self or fame or money or power or even knowledge for knowledge's sake, but everything is aimed at promoting the righteousness of God made known and sins forgiven in ourselves and the world around. THAT is true wisdom!

Reflection Questions:

1.) Think of the smartest person you know. If they lack faith in Jesus and acknowledgement of God, how can it be said they are still lacking real wisdom?

2.) Personally reflect on your own pursuits. What are your goals and your measures of "success"? How might you bend your drive for advancement towards the Lord, righteousness, and peace?

Prayer: Lord God, we praise and thank you that in your mercy you have made us wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. However you have gifted us, keep us humble in heart so that we may always strive to maximize our abilities with the goal of righteousness and peace. Amen.