Godly Wisdom Versus Worldly Wisdom
"13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter envy and [a]self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. 16 For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. 18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace." James 3:13-18 NKJV
Christian! “Wake up!” Time is running out and the coming of our salvation is drawing near—Romans 13:11. Jesus is returning and He’s returning soon—Matthew 24. Are you ready? Are you preparing for that day? Are you living radically for Jesus? What are you doing?
You say you are a Christian and you consider yourself wise—then prove it! Godly wisdom is found in a person’s conduct, how they act and react to situations. How are you reacting to situations?
Does jealousy consume you? Are you afraid someone is going to become equal to you or even superior to you? Do you want to hold onto the blessings of God for yourself, not wanting others to experience God’s goodness?
Has envy taken a hold of your heart? Do you constantly compare yourself to others, longing for what they have? Wishing you could be in their shoes? Be careful, Christian. Do not covet another person’s position, success, or material things. God has placed you right where He wants you.
Is there selfish ambition in your heart? Are you willing to do whatever it takes to be successful, even if it means tearing down someone else to achieve it? Be careful. That is unwise and down the line you will experience a host of regrets if selfish ambition is ruling you.
God sees you—Hebrews 4:13. He knows your heart. Those actions and attitudes do not display one walking rightly with the Lord. That is the world’s wisdom. The aftermath is full of confusion and chaos. Strife and division is not of the Lord, and it is not the way of the Lord. It’s destructive with many different types of negative outcomes.
Today, Jesus is calling all of us to really look at our walk with God and to test ourselves to see if our faith is genuine and to identify whether Jesus Christ is among us—2 Corinthians 13:5. Do our lives display godly wisdom or worldly wisdom?
The wise person seeks the kingdom of God first and His righteousness, knowing God will provide for every need—Matthew 6:33. They seek to understand what is going on around them, by looking at the world through the eyes of Jesus. They seek to have the mind of Christ.
We need Jesus! True wisdom comes from Him for He is Wisdom incarnate - 1 Corinthians 1:30.
The person who recognizes that all of the “hidden treasures of wisdom” are found in Christ—Colossians 2:4, display meekness. They exalt the work of Jesus Christ in their life, acknowledging their good deeds as simply byproducts of their faith in Christ. It’s all about Jesus!
So, what does godly wisdom look like? It looks like Jesus! It is pure, it encourages peace, it is gentle with others, is willing to yield and not argue, it’s discerning, merciful, it does not exact revenge but produces fruit, it does not show favoritism, it is always sincere—James 3:17. Godly wisdom remains right with God so that it can plant seeds of peace—James 3:18.
May our words and our actions reflect Him and not the world!
Prayer: Abba, I ask for wisdom for my current situation. In Jesus' name, Amen.
