The Need For Wisdom

I have been told that wisdom is the proper application of knowledge. As we seek to apply knowledge, we often will battle with the realities of God's timing. I will never forget when a wise brother asked me, "What is the better solution, to be right or be Spirit led?" That question exposed to me a reality that was brought by a mentor pastor of mine who presented, "A right thing, done in a wrong way is still wrong." Having knowledge (truth) is good, but knowing how to present that knowledge is often the key to receptivity. Maybe its sad that it is the state of the world, but it is what it is.

So we must check our approach and ultimately our motives. We must be a people who are as hard and fast on how we apply knowledge as we are in gaining it to begin with. The following Scripture gave me pause on this topic:

17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere" James 3:17.

What is pure wisdom? Perhaps it mirrors a condition of the heart as we seek it. Jesus said in the sermon of the mount, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." I think that what can be concluded is that wisdom does not seek to "set someone straight" but instead to expose the reality of their lack of knowledge to draw them deeper into walk with Christ.

What is peace loving wisdom? Paul writes to Timothy of the reality of conflict in 2 Tim 2:25. He says that those who oppose truth must be 'gently reproved'. This picture is one of doing the most minimally invasive thing to steer their hearts back to right thinking. Could it be that Paul is trying to help Timothy not fall into the traps of us vs them, of being drawn into camps? I think so. There is a reason for God's words in Matt 18 and again in 2 Tim 2. If we can stop deception one on one, then corporate peace can often be maintained.

A wisdom that is considerate takes several things into consideration. No one likes to be told they are wrong. People who have lived a lot more life and have greater experiences do not want open confrontation that embarrasses them. Being considerate is often done by waiting. Being considerate is often done by weighing out the consequences and deciding whether or not the hill is worth dying on. Many are. Many aren't.

A submissive wisdom falls into line. It waits for the release of marching orders and then only goes as far as the authority permits. Impetuous people run ahead, often to seek the glory for themselves. Submissive wisdom reserves the glory for the Lord and waiting on the timing of the Lord for the revelation of truth.

Full of mercy and good fruit could tied in directly to the fruits of the spirit. Wisdom that is from God should manifest itself by God's own personal revelation. In other words, when people are confronted with Godly wisdom, it should point them to God and the things fo God - not on any one person or on selfishness.

That ties into impartial and sincere wisdom. The Bible says in James that every good and perfect thing comes from God (James 1:17). God is not in the sides business as much as He is in the truth business. Remember His words to Joshua when He spoke outside of the walls of Jericho. He was asked, "Are you for us or for our enemies?" His reply should guide our application of wisdom, "Neither, but as commander of the armies of the Lord I have now come. (Joshua 5:14)"
God has a plan and an agenda for the revelation of knowledge. It is based upon a wisdom that forwards His plan, not one side vs the other.

To conclude this edition, my hope and prayer for you the reader is that you will search as hard for the wisdom of God as for the knowledge of truth. Judge everything you think, hear, and believe against the above pause text. You can save yourself a lot of grief by not being distracted from God's perfect way.