How Wisdom Behaves
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Straight to the Cross
What kind of builder are you? Warren Baldwin
gives us some good advice in his article "Watch
How You Build" at
forthright.antville.org/stories/618829
COLUMN: Heavenly Connections
How Wisdom Behaves
by Tim Hall
Before us are two individuals. Both are studious
people, spending much time reading the Bible and
other books. Both have attained advanced degrees
in their studies, attested by diplomas gracing the
walls of their offices.
But which of the two is wise? What does God think?
James raised this question in his letter to
Christians: "Who is wise and understanding among
you? Let him show by good conduct that his works
are done in the meekness of wisdom" (Jas 3:13,
NKJV). It's a rhetorical question, designed to
make the reader think. A similar question is found
earlier in his letter (2:14) when he asks whether
inactive faith can save a person. In other words,
is it really faith if it's not the kind of faith
God commands? And regarding wisdom: Is it really
wisdom if it doesn't behave in the way God
desires?
Paul had sounded a warning about so-called wisdom
in 1 Corinthians 8:1: "Knowledge puffs up." It's a
graphic image, bringing to mind a person who puffs
out his chest with an air of arrogance. "I'm a
learned man," this person might boast. "I have
more understanding that the common person." It
leads to disdain toward others, and an expectation
to be treated like a celebrity. How common such
puffed-up people have been throughout time! But
are they really wise according to God?
James, in our text above, made it clear that
wisdom, if it comes from God, will be demonstrated
by "good conduct ... in the meekness of wisdom".
One of the marks of wisdom is that it is meek.
James had earlier pointed to the value of meekness
in 1:19-21: "Therefore, my beloved brethren, let
every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to
wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the
righteousness of God. Therefore lay aside all
filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive
with meekness the implanted word, which is able to
save your souls."
The puffed-up individual does not receive
instruction; they already know it all anyway (they
think). Try to teach them something from God's
word and you'll be interrupted or will receive an
angry glare. "Do you think you can teach me
anything?" they are thinking. The meek, however,
know that there is a continual need for
instruction. They are glad to receive the word,
knowing it will lead to the salvation of their
souls. Because they are meek, they are slow to
speak and thus they are most apt to learn.
James himself seems to be a good model of
meekness. There are strong reasons to believe he
was the half-brother of Jesus. He had the
credentials to make himself a celebrity. Instead
of being puffed up by his good fortune, though, he
introduced himself simply as "a servant of God and
of the Lord Jesus Christ" (Jas. 1:1).
If we need more motivation to work toward becoming
meek, let's remember that Jesus described Himself
as "meek and lowly in heart" (Matt. 11:29, KJV), a
trait of the Lord mentioned by Paul in 2
Corinthians 10:1. Was anyone more learned than
Jesus? Yet look at what wisdom led Him to be.
Let no one condemn the pursuit of knowledge; it is
encouraged often in God's word. But those who
become puffed up by their advanced levels of
learning show by their actions that they don't yet
understand godly wisdom.
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