Who is wise and understanding among you?
How do you know if someone is wise? How do you know if someone has understanding? Who do you think of when you think of someone who is wise and/or understanding? What makes you think about that person?
Last Sunday, we had the opportunity to get together with some friends of ours. During this time, we all read and talked about James 3:1-18.
James begins with a warning to teachers, then shifts immediately to a discussion about the destructive and untameable tongue.
But, at the end of that chapter, in James 3:13-18, he shifts again to a general discussion of wisdom. (Although, I think all of these topics are related.)
Notice how James begins his shift to the discussion about wisdom:
Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. (James 3:13 ESV)
Did you notice what James says? The person who is wise and understanding will demonstrate that through his or her manner of life. That right, it’s not what someone says that determines whether or not the person is wise or understanding. Instead, it’s the way the person lives…
So, who is wise and understanding among you? You will know who those people are based on the way that they live their lives. (Seems like this is a repeated exhortation in James… such as James 1:22 and James 2:14.)
One of the most wisest people I have ever met was a man by the name of Mike Smith.
Mike was one of those people who was always calm, collected, assured, friendly, and never worked up. Whenever he spoke, you could be assured that it was going to be a word of wisdom or encouragement. Unfortunately, he passed away several years ago. Was he sinless? No. “Perfect”? Hmmmmm…. Taking it in context of Jesus telling us to be “perfect like our heavenly father is perfect”, well, perhaps.
If only we could have more people who would lead and bring strong spiritual insights and pass them along to men and women in the kingdom of God.
Marc,
Mike sounds like an awesome example to follow.
-Alan