Anyone who wants wisdom (and who doesn’t?) should carefully
consider what God says in James 3:13-18, where we learn that wisdom
isn’t a result of intellect or education, but the reward of a
lifestyle that honors God. In verse 17 James lists the components
of true wisdom:
”
Real wisdom, God’s wisdom, is first of all pure. It is also
peace loving, gentle and reasonable. It is full of mercy and good
deeds. It shows no partiality and is always sincere.
”
Anyone who wants wisdom (and who doesn’t?) should carefully consider what God says in James 3:13-18, where we learn that wisdom isn’t a result of intellect or education, but the reward of a lifestyle that honors God. In verse 17 James lists the components of true wisdom: “Real wisdom, God’s wisdom, is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle and reasonable. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no partiality and is always sincere.”
Last week we considered the first three elements: purity, which is another way of saying I must live a life of integrity. If I’m really wise, I’m not going to use and manipulate you because I will know that healthy relationships are built upon trust and respect. Second, I must be peace-loving. I will say and do things that create harmony rather than trouble. The third component is gentleness, which has to do with being considerate of others. Wisdom is resisting our natural tendency to do what we want without consideration for anyone else.
A fourth element is to be open to reason. Proverbs 12:15 says “a fool thinks he needs no advice, but a wise man listens to others.” Far too many Christians refuse to listen to other viewpoints, but closed minds are never a sign of wisdom. Besides, non-Christian viewpoints are not a threat to your faith; they are an opportunity to affirm the truth found in God’s Word. But wise people do this in reasonable manner, avoiding negativity and dogmatism.
A fifth component is mercy. “Love forgets mistakes; nagging about them parts the best of friends” (Proverbs 17:9). When someone makes a mistake we are to encourage them, not judge them, asking, “What would I want someone to do if it was me who made the mistake?” Galatians 6:1 says “when someone is overcome by a sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help him back onto the right path, remembering that next time it might be one of you who is in the wrong.”
The final component of a wise lifestyle James mentions is sincerity: “the wisdom that comes from heaven is impartial and sincere.” The words “impartial” and “sincere” come from the same Greek word our English word “hypocrisy” comes from. In the Greek theater, just a few actors played all the parts. In order for the audience to tell the difference between the characters, the actors used masks. These actors were called “hypokritos.” This is not a negative word for actors, but it is for us when misrepresent ourselves.
Many Christians feel they must put up a godly front or risk discrediting Christ, so they hesitate to share their less-than-Christian thoughts and actions. But we are not perfect. All of us have sins and hang-ups and faults. We have emotional ups and downs and financial challenges and battles with lust and egos and selfishness and family problems like everyone else. We need to drop the mask and be honest with one another. That way we can encourage and help each other through difficult times. This world already has too many phony relationships.
Here’s a little-known but liberating fact: when you finally take off your mask, you will discover that people won’t be shocked; they have plenty of faults of their own. So swallow your pride and any false notions about the need to pretend, and reach out for help from the rest of us who are going through the same struggles. And if you’ve reached out for support in the past and got burned, don’t withdraw, refocus: find a church where the people genuinely love Christ and are seeking his wisdom by living the lifestyle James describes in this passage.
