“If you consider yourself to be wise and one who understands the ways of God, advertise it with a beautiful, fruitful life guided by wisdom’s gentleness. Never brag or boast about what you’ve done and you’ll prove that you’re truly wise. But if there is bitter jealousy or competition hiding in your heart, then don’t deny it and try to compensate for it by boasting and being phony. For that has nothing to do with God’s heavenly wisdom but can best be described as the wisdom of this world, both selfish and devilish. So wherever jealousy and selfishness are uncovered, you will also find many troubles and every kind of meanness. But the wisdom from above is always pure, filled with peace, considerate and teachable. It is filled with love and never displays prejudice or hypocrisy in any form and it always bears the beautiful harvest of righteousness! Good seeds of wisdom’s fruit will be planted with peaceful acts by those who cherish making peace.” James 3:13-18 TPT
We have all known people who claim to know everything, to have all the answers, and yet act foolish. True wisdom, within a person, is measured by their character, in how they act, and in the way they behave, especially when life tends to become challenging. A life filled with times of jealousy or that of thinking too highly of oneself can often lead to pain within, one that lacks any kind of peace.
In this passage, James, the brother of Jesus, is expressing the importance of letting go of the feelings of disappointment, jealously, selfishness, boasting, being phony, or anything that can still our peace. We can easily get caught up in today’s society, and loose site of our need to seek Jesus first. James stresses the importance of wisdom that leads to peace and goodness. God loves peacemakers, therefore, wise, loving words can be the start-up seeds we need as we continue to seek His wisdom for our peace, in the asking.
Heavenly Father, help us to remember the importance of seeking wisdom from above, filled with your peace, and be ever so thankful.
In Christ Love
Margaret