James 3:13 – If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying. 15 For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. 16 For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.

17 But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. 18 And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness. (NLT)

I still remember the very first sermon I ever preached.  The title of that sermon: Is Your Faith Practical?  Faith is not meant to be cherished as we might a family heirloom.  Faith is not something we put in a showcase to admire from a distance, or put away in a box in the attic.  Faith is meant to be lived out moment by moment throughout our lives.  James was a man who believed in a practical faith!

Do you understand God’s way?  Then prove it, James writes!  Christianity is not merely knowing about God. Christianity is not even about merely believing in God.  Consider what James says in 2:19 – “You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God.  Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror.”  Christianity is about having a relationship with God through Jesus that is evidenced in the way that we live. 

Likewise, true wisdom is not quoting the famous philosophers.  It is, however, knowing how God desires us to live, and then living it!  If our life is characterized by disorder, then we really only know about God, and have not proven that we seek God in our hearts.  True wisdom, for a Christian, is loving peace, being gentle in speech and action, and even yielding to others!  True wisdom, for a Christian, is evidenced by our good deeds. 

When we find ourselves failing in these areas, it’s time to ‘go back to school’ and seek wisdom from the one and true source of all wisdom.  The wise thing for each of us to do would be to go to that source daily!

Today let us endeavor to live peacefully, showing others the wisdom of God by being a humble servant.

Posted by Ramón Torres