The Wisdom From Above

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.

James 3:17

I love the book of James! It is hard hitting, real and relevant. After some challenging verses on the tongue and how hard it is to control, James moves onto wisdom. Not just any ‘ole wisdom…but true wisdom. The person who possesses godly wisdom will meekly show it with works, not just words.

After a list of what is not true wisdom – we read the characteristics of true wisdom, it’s main one being ‘pure’ and then a few others:

peaceable – describing a spirit of tranquility and calmness.

gentle – not harsh or demanding

willing to yield – not suggesting to compromise truth, but releasing the attitude of always being right, not matter what

full of mercy and good fruits – doesn’t simply judge but seeks to find the solution with good words and deeds

without hypocrisy – undivided, without favoritism, unwavering and consistent.

True wisdom is sincere and unpretentious and is a breath of fresh air to the wisdom of the world. May we always desire and show that true wisdom.

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