When I was younger, I saw the world as extremely black and white. There was right and there was wrong. Naturally, I always wanted to be on the right side of things, so when I acted wrongly, it absolutely crushed me. I’d blame my wrongdoing on anyone else, especially my poor little sister, so I could feel right again. I became a defensive child, pleading my innocence behind time-out’s closed door until the bitter end, even if I had no leg to stand on.
As I grew up though, I realized the world can also look pretty gray. Sometimes, no matter how carefully we choose our words, we don’t know if we said the right thing. Sometimes policies limit our ability to live by faith the way we imagined we would in our secular workplaces. Sometimes kids raised in the church choose to walk away. And innumerable complicated, global problems exist, and they don’t have clear answers.
In our gray world, James 3 reminds me of my younger self and the black and white truths that remain: good versus evil, peace versus disorder, and as James showed us today, the wisdom from above versus the earthly wisdom.
The wisdom from above produces gentleness, mercy, steadfastness, and humility. This wisdom becomes evident in our actions and behaviors as we embody the character of Jesus. It teaches us to “keep in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25) and cultivate peace in our relationships with one another, little sisters included. Peace was and is countercultural, in both James’s day and our own.
Because on the other hand, worldly wisdom is selfish and envious, and James characterized it as “earthly, unspiritual, demonic” (James 3:15). This wisdom produces disorder in our cultures and our minds.
These wisdoms are black and white. They remind us that although our world may appear gray on the surface, there is a spiritual battle between our loving God and evil, spiritual forces. As such, the wisdom from above and the wisdom from the earth oppose each other in every possible way. So we must choose between the two. We must decide which wisdom we will depend on.
And as we choose, we don’t have to wonder if we’re making the right choice. James clarifies which wisdom is good and which is evil. We only need to “belong to Christ Jesus” to put our earthly wisdom to death and hunger for true wisdom (Galatians 5:24).
Today, as brothers and sisters in Christ, let’s choose to depend on our Savior and His wisdom—wisdom that spreads peace instead of disorder and teaches us to sow righteousness in our fallen world.
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63 thoughts on "The Wisdom from Above"
May I cry out for your wisdom, Lord! May I discern it first as pure, peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy . Amen.
I find it helpful to write my thoughts, so will just do that now (I’m sorry if these are not really instructive, but it forces me to pause. Please correct me if there is anything that doesn’t align with the Bible’s teaching!).
I suppose it makes sense all the marks of wisdom from above hangs on being pure, because if something is pure, all these other things will surely fall into place (just as love is the first fruit of the spirit).
The emphasis on purity also explains why true wisdom can’t come from ourselves because as humans in our natural state, our sin makes us filthy (even our righteousness is garbage, as Paul says in Philippians chapter 3); we need to look outside of ourselves and to the only One who is pure and blameless to get pure wisdom.
Peaceable – we should avoid conflict and arguments. This is helpful for me as it explains that wisdom will not lead us towards arguments and conflict. We must also actively be amiable (this is challenging, because I think that I sometimes just take a neutral approach (ie I go quiet when I don’t agree) but this isn’t necessarily peaceable, and silence can be violent (the silent treatment)).
Gentle – I love how often gentleness seems to have come up! Wisdom from above is gentle, and this is absolutely how our Saviour was on earth! He gathered the children in; washed his disciples’ feet; let the outcasts approach Him… if we are gentle, we are also listening to others and give them room to talk. I have been challenged this week to just talk less and listen more, and it has radically changed my interactions. I have learned so much just from listening! Thank you, God, for working in me. Please continue to do this!
Willing to yield – possibly the one I find hardest. In a recent work based strengths test, my greatest weakness came out as following authority/ the rules/ procedures. I definitely have had this arrogance in my heart where I think I know the better way. I used to think this was quite cool, and would even boast that I wasn’t scared to go up against managers. On a few occasions, this is right, especially if the rule is arbitrary/ creates an injustice for a client, but, mostly, I have had to humble myself and realise that the rules are there for a reason, and that the wise thing to do on many occasions is to yield. Still, I find this hard! And I still want to be able to discern when it isn’t appropriate to yield (could anyone help me with this? Especially in a secular workplace/ secular friendships).
Full of mercy- Jesus has been so merciful to me; every morning God renews His mercies. Who am I to then withhold this from others? The unmerciful servant in the proverb was so focused on greed that he had forgotten the mercy that had been shown to him. Lord, may I not forget how merciful you have been to me.
Good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy- Lord, please light my way and May your Spirit dwell inside me so that my life blossoms with good fruit. May I not show favouritism, but may my gentleness be evident to all, even those I find difficult. Help me to tame my tongue so that I may not be a hypocrite.
Thank you, Lord God, for giving me this moment to pause. Father, be the lampstand to my feet and my life. Amen.
❤️ Thank you for sharing, Mary.
Here’s my 2 cents – “willing to yield” in regard to yielding and yielding to the Holy Spirit, I think we are in the right place to study, learn and remember God’s word to provide the guidance and willingness to incorporate the full range of the fruit of the Spirit, daily. The fruit of the Spirit encompasses all the attributes listed so if we have truly yielded to the Spirit, these attributes would be part of us, our words, thoughts and actions.
Regarding secular situations, work and friendship – respect for authority is part of being a good employee, and completing assignments is part of the job, but I don’t think there’s anything wrong with respectfully asking a question or making a suggestion – unless you have specifically been instructed not to. If being asked to do something unethical or illegal, I personally would respectfully refuse and likely have to look for another job :/ And as far as yielding to authority in general, yikes – I stayed in trouble at home and at school for that very thing, and ran into conflict at jobs but eventually learned the importance of respect and handling issues appropriately (mostly). For friendship- this one is tough, but always remember you represent Jesus and do your best to handle conflicts and sharing Him with kindness and without compromise, including a bit of humor if appropriate. There’s a family member who now says if I join the group or conversation- look who’s here, we need to clean up our language, we all laugh and the conversation is cleaned up. Romans 12:18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.
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Thank you so much, Searching. This is so helpful and so appreciated.
Thankful for God’s wisdom and His promise to give it to us liberally when we ask! I know I want and especially NEED His wisdom!!!
Sharon Jersey Girl and Cheryl Blow both mentioned Roman’s 12:12 “Rejoice in hope;” That is one of the verses that stood out to me today. Made me think of one of the first hymns I intentionally memorized:
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“Rejoice, the Lord is King!” by Charles Wesley.
(Last verse:)
Rejoice in glorious hope!
Our Lord and judge shall come
And take His servants up
To their eternal home:
Lift up your heart,
Lift up your voice!
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice.
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Thank you all for praying for me. My situation has also deeply affected my husband. Please pray for him as well. ❤️
Prayers B for you and your hub.
Thank you❤️
Father God, help me each day to put my earthly wisdom to death and hunger for true wisdom, wisdom that is from above. Help me today and every day to keep in step with the Spirit.
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As I read Romans 12:12 I am reminded once again of how great a loss it is to lose my friend Laverne. She was a true testimony of love in action. She was joyful in hope – rarely did I see her sad, patient in affliction – patiently battling cancer for 12 years and faithful in prayer. For almost 40 years we have prayed for each other and for our families of which we both have prodigals. Who will fill the prayer gap that she will leave behind, I do not know. I will miss her so dearly. Yesterday was the funeral, today is the burial. As it was in ME (8 hours away) my husband and I were not able to attend but thankfully were able to attend via stream. What a legacy of faith she left behind – even her prodigals testified of it!
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Praying for you sweet sisters. May your Friday and weekend be filled with blessings. ❤️
Sharon, praying that in your grief and loss God will fill you overflowing with his great comfort and tender joy. We all have a new prayer request, to be praying: that God brings someone alongside you that you can be testaments to one another of all God has done and is continuing to do. ❤️
Sharon, praying God’s comfort for you as you grieve and process the loss of your precious friend. She sounds very much like one of my best friends, gone 9 years now and her absence left a huge gap in my life. A genuine kindred sister is a beautiful blessing and to have them gone is so difficult. May the life Laverne lived as a committed faithful follower of Jesus continue to spill out, overflow and impact those that are here and point them to seek out and live for the Lord.❤️
P.S. (LOL) This mornings court hearing was vacated as all paperwork has been processed. I now just wait to receive it in the mail. THANK you all so much for prayers and support! I can now focus on Alyssa and her graduation for tonight!
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Congrats to your daughter (and to you, Mama- you served her well!!)!!!! I hope it’s a memorable and she’s excited about her accomplishments!! ❤️
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Great news, Mari!
For a long time I was a very black and white person myself. Then there was/is my friend Gretchen with love and care, patience and her great example (she also introduced me to SRT), slowly I eased off more and more, especially after leaving my toxic home almost nine years-ago. And as Lauren mentions this morning: “We only need to “belong to Christ Jesus” to put our earthly wisdom to death and hunger for true wisdom.” I’m so thankful for friends like Gretchen and others that helped my walk with JESUS along the way, even though they were/are younger than me, I can (and will) learn from them as we all have common ground and that is to follow JESUS with all hearts no matter what comes our way. I’ve said it many times, I can’t do life without my JESUS! He is my everything! He is my first love! Then right next are Alyssa and Caleb my two beautiful children. Speaking of which, Alyssa graduates tonight from our local JC! Happy Friday sweet She’s!
Congratulations to Alyssa on her graduation! Praying for a beautiful night!
So happy that Alyssa graduates there and now goes on to another new experience! She is gonna miss home, but I pray she will enjoy the school/town/new friends!! It can be so exciting!
Was thinking about yesterday’s theme on speaking life no matter the content of your message. When joined with the passages from Galatians today on the visible, experiential evidences of a person speaking out of Spiritual motivation–it almost becomes a litmus test if the way we are speaking truth will have the power of life or death in it. “The law is not against these things”. I look at that and remember the Law WE are under — to ultimately love God and then to love others with the same energy and compassion that we ourselves want to be loved with. So the connection in my mind is this: if these fruits of joy, peace, gentleness, kindness, SELF CONTROL, patience, etc are not experientially evident in both my words and presentation–it’s not life giving. I kind of have to wonder if this way of “preaching/teaching” is a form of grieving the Spirit (Eph. 4:30). We’re taking the gracious truth that God has given to us in love and kindness, and wrapping it in pride/impatience/irritation/condemnation and thereby removing the supernatural life-giving power in the message. It becomes useless. Salt that has lost its flavor (Matt 5:13). Yuck.
Just thoughts… ❤️
heidi! again, you are right in step with my thoughts. yesterday I thought to myself, am I quenching the spirit?
I have loved reading James but today’s was like a gift to my soul! It is just a reminder to keep asking for wisdom daily and then all the other blessings follow! The fruit of the Spirit!
It also gave us such a practical way to discern what is God’s wisdom and what is the world’s.
It’s the simple daily practices that keep us on the right path! Like Rhonda’s mom – “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer, contribute to the needs of the saints, and seek to show hospitality. Rom 12:12-13
Praying for all! Thank you for all of your insights!
(Heart!!)
She was such a good mother and grandmother. The grandkids really talk so sweet about her. We once did a video..(I might have told ya’ll this) where one of the grandkids was doing one of those homework assignments to ask questions to someone in your family. And at the end, when the question was “what do you want people to know” she said “I just want all my grandkids to know Jesus so we can all be together in heaven one day!” I know she must have prayed for them all. It’s something so amazing to have.
It makes me want to leave those thoughts in my grandkids memory! (and nieces and nephews!)
that why I made journaling Bibles for my 2 granddaughters
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But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without pretense. James 3:17
The wishy, washy, shallow, do whatever makes you feel good, follow your heart messaging of the world will lead us astray, unsettled and floundering every time. True, genuine wisdom comes from walking with Jesus, knowing the Word, abiding in His presence, sitting at His feet, knowing His heart. If I want the wisdom, to make wise decisions, to move through each day with wisdom from above, I have to regularly, consistently prioritize intimacy with Him. And,that wisdom goes on to produce good fruit, also what we want more of in our lives to further portray who Jesus is and to pursue being Christ like.
Heavenly Father lead and guide my heart in ways that are honoring and pleasing to you. Help me set aside my own thoughts and ways that can be easily misguided, reveal to me and lead me in your wisdom that is right, true and good. Guide me and teach me Lord all your ways as I seek to be wise. Amen
“If I want the wisdom, to make wise decisions, to move through each day with wisdom from above, I have to regularly, consistently prioritize intimacy with Him.” Yes and Amen!
Oh I just want to copy that word for word to leave in my journal!
The wishy washy, ..do what ev you want world today … :/ my thoughts but you put so good!
I love the book of James. It always reminds me that there are concrete truths that make a difference in how I can live and love and enrich others as well as myself
Worldly wisdom is selfish and envious, and James characterized it as “earthly, unspiritual, demonic” (James 3:15). This wisdom produces disorder in our cultures and our minds.
I feel that this is so evident in our world today.
But we can choose the wisdom from above. God’s wisdom.
Yes, it certainly does characterize the world today. And we tip-toe around the word ‘demonic!” It is strong- but it is the word used.
I once heard James referred to as the Proverbs of as the New Testament. I see that with the connection to wisdom.
Poverrbs 4:7 states; “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: with all thy getting get understanding.
JD Walt says: “The authenticating signature of wisdom is a humble life. Perhaps this is why the first step to becoming a wise person is the humility to recognize your need for it.”
“God, our Father, I want to be a real Christian. Make me wise with the mind of Christ. Infuse me with the humility of Jesus and fill me with the grace to walk in it. Save me from the deception of false humility. Lead me into the real thing. In Jesus’s name, amen.”
Amen
Amen
Well spoken
My mom always carried great wisdom. After she died in 2014 it made me ponder all things “Madre” as we had to prepare for her funeral and eulogy. She was a Godly woman, read her bible daily, raised her family in church. She displayed the fruits of the Spirit. That is when I decided I too, would read my Bible daily. A relationship with God happens by spending time with him often, knowing what he wants us to know (the written word), engaging in conversation (talking and listening), and walking in step with the Spirit! All these things take self-discipline, a desire, and action on our part. But what a wonderful journey it is. It is everything.
Peace is my word this year, and it does help me focus on my part of peace. My interactions, my tonque, my apologies. Also knowing a real enemy is against us, and God, and we must be aware and put on our armor.
Also, let’s not forget, we can ask for wisdom and when our heart is right and true, he gives it so lovingly. Opening our eyes to more and more. Then all the things in our reading come more easily and naturally. Thanks be to God.
I know you’ve mentioned your mom before, but what a blessing to have a godly mother!
I think you hit perfectly on what James was referring to in the first chapter– when you ask for wisdom, don’t doubt/be double-minded. I know a lot of people misunderstand his word “doubt” to mean that our “perfect belief” in what we’re asking for is some kind of payment to recieve. All that God gives is given through his mercy and grace–we simply CAN’T pay even if we wanted to. But truthfully, faith has to have doubt to even be defined as faith. Without doubt, the correct word to use would be “knowledge” — fully knowing– and the fact is, trials pull directly to the surface all that we DON’T know (where’s the money coming from? Will the diagnosis be too much? Will my child ever turn to God?…). We trust. We have FAITH to believe despite the present doubt. The double-minded is the person not doing the very thing you pointed out: seeking God in faith that he listens/contends/invests in our lives. So many Christians will honestly say “I wish I had more wisdom, more faith…” but when given the opportunity to gain that (reading daily, communicating consistently in prayer, sharing/growing with other believers…) they don’t have time, desire, interest. They’re the ones who want Jesus enough for salvation, but not enough to bear his cross. The enemy has done quite a successful work in convincing people that a Sunday morning sermon now and then and prayer for “safety and protection” here and there some how sustains the “Christian Life”. But your testimony of living/breathing Spiritual matters/actions throughout the day, THAT is what sustains the Christian life– and it’s what compels others in their faith as well! ❤️
thank you all for the recommendations! today has made it clear for me that if what I’m listening to doesn’t produce gentleness, mercy, steadfastness, and humility IN ME, then I should probably set it down. I was thinking click bait clips pretty much never produce a “gentle response”, like someone ( I think grammie sue? ) said what you put in the well comes back up
So true!
YES!!!!!!!!! It was Rhonda J I think!! SO TRUE!!! Let’s all remember- BAIT? IS AN ATTEMPT TO CATCH SOMETHING and most often, NOT for the good of the prey that was caught!!! :)
Well said
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Amen
I’ve been taught about the Fruit of the Spirits since I was a child and maybe along the way someone also shared this thought. Today it got my attention the list starts with love. It is only through God’s love to me that I can display the Fruits of the Spirit, especially on hard days.
Amen ❤️
Amen♥️
Amen❤️
choose Jesus
Amen!
James 3:17-18
17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. 18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
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All real wisdom is from God. I’ve heard many times that the Bible isn’t relevant, usually “backed up” with reference to the changes in the world, technology advancements, etc. But when we boil down each question to its basic issue, God’s word will guide every time. Praying for clarity when I feel stumped.
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GRAMSIESUE ❤️
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B praying today is a bright day, and your reply to Maria J reminded me of Mr. Miyagi in Karate Kid, “Do or do not! There is no try.”
KACIE LONG Lead, guide, correct and direct my language. Thank you.
MEGHAN BERTANI-YANG re:The Pour Over, I get their emails too, originally recommended to me here by our dear CHURCHMOUSE
CEE GEE ❤️ you’re missed
MERCY ❤️same
Thank you for praying! Today is ok. A little setback this morning but praising God that I don’t feel “in the pit of despair” as some days.
“Do or do not! There is no try.” Yikes, I think I’m in trouble! :)
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❤️ praying for complete victory over everything you are dealing with, B, and for your husband also.
Thank you❤️
❤ Good word! Praying aling for B! ❤
I never saw that movie. Thanks for sharing that great quote! ❤
Thank you for the note; I’ve missed y’all, too! ❤
Thank you for your prayers ❤️
Lauren writes, “the wisdom from above and the wisdom from the earth oppose each other in every possible way. So we must choose between the two. We must decide which wisdom we will depend on.”
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Hmmmm…sounds like the difference between the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge in the garden. Same choices for us every day. What will I choose?
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Praying for your requests ❤️
Yes! Make the choice you know in your heart is the correct one, even if it is the most painful.
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The wisdom from above produces gentleness, mercy, steadfastness, and humility. This wisdom becomes evident in our actions and behaviors as we embody the character of Jesus. It teaches us to “keep in step with the Spirit”.
Lord, I need your wisdom. Help me to walk in your ways. Amen!
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