Disorder or Peace?

Do you ever think about wisdom?  Maybe you think that you already know everything, and don’t need any help from God on the matter, but I for one do.  I confess, I don’t know everything and I need God to help me with answers in this life.   (Although I don’t always live out this statement, -and I’m saying this with embarrassment)  So many times I have tried to solve problems on my own, trying to use my basic human wisdom, yet never being as successful as I want to be.  The times where I have had the best outcome is when I’ve prayed to God and asked for wisdom and understanding, and guess what?  I’ve gotten it every time.   –You’d think I’d learn my lesson right?  Well I’m human, and I forget to depend on the wisdom that comes from God.

There’s this guy in the Bible, his name was James, and he wrote about wisdom, and I think he says it pretty clearly…..  

James 3:13-18 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15 Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

 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. 18 Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness. (NIV)

The first thing I see here is a huge contrast between the two types of wisdom. So how do you know if your wisdom that you use is earthly or heavenly?

Two basic indicators of what kind of wisdom you are using in your daily life:

1.     Do you experience a life primarily of disorder?

OR

2.     Do you experience a life primarily of peace?

If you answered “Yes” to the first question, and want to live a life of peace, you will find the answer in verses 13 and 14 in the scripture above.  Notice that it doesn’t say “Tell everyone about your good deeds?” Instead, it says to “show” your wisdom by living your life of good deeds; deeds that are not done with the mindset of displaying them, instead done with the attitude of humility.  To break it down more simply, it all comes down to your heart.  Where is your heart when you are doing something good for someone else?  Are you doing it to be recognized or are you doing it simply to help someone else out?  -That is humility!

What is the result of using this heavenly wisdom? Peace.  Peace in the decisions we make, peace in the things we do for others, and we find ourselves living out a life of a peacemaker. 

What a great reminder James gives us to seek out wisdom from heaven and what an easy way for us to know if we are utilizing that wisdom. 

So what kind of life are you experiencing on a daily basis?