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James 3:17: But The Wisdom From Above Is First Pure, Then Peaceable, Gentle, Open To Reason, . . .


James 3:17
[17] But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. (ESV)

Every church has them. Some have council meetings. Others have deacons meetings. There are congregational meetings. Committee meetings. All kinds of people show up at these meetings. I am sure that the goal in these meetings is to share wisdom from all the different parties involved and come up with workable solutions to problems or challenges in the church.

If you have ever been in one of those meetings I want you to think about the last meeting you were in. Would you describe the wisdom that came from your meeting in this way:  "The wisdom from my meeting I attended was pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere."?

I would love to think that everyone who has been in a church meeting would describe them the way James describes God's wisdom. But I know better. I have been in many of those meetings. I would rarely describe any of them of coming close to this holy standard. Yet, here we are. We have God's holy standard of what wisdom is all about.

It is important for us to see that God's wisdom and man's wisdom are completely different, and even opposed to one another. Man seeks to glorify himself. Godly wisdom seeks to glorify God. Because God's heart and character are pure and loving, glorifying him brings out those godly character traits. Purity, peace, gentleness, reason, mercy, good fruits, impartiality, and sincerity come from God.

Seek the Lord. Ask him to give you his wisdom. The closer you draw to him the more like him you will be. The world needs the wisdom that comes from God. May they see it in you.

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