Wise? Learn Peace.

“Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” - James 3:13-18

I ask the same question. “Who is wise and understanding among you?” Are you wise? Do you have wisdom and understanding that allows you to discern between hate and love, heresy and truth, God and Satan? You do? Great! Now quit showing off. Rather, by your good conduct and morals, show your wisdom with humility. 

If you have been given a gift to understanding the word of God and applying it to your life appropriately (wisdom), then rejoice in that, use it, and bless other Christians with it. But the moment you have allowed pride to get its grasp on that wisdom, you can wave goodbye to any wisdom you previously had, because now it has been cluttered with “earthly, unspiritual, demonic” motives. And wherever those motives exist, “there will be disorder and every vile practice.” 

Literally, if you don’t handle your wisdom correctly, every kind of disorder and vile practice will be present. From pride to idolatry, to gluttony, hate, lust, gossip, adultery, and anything else awful you can think up. Why? Because the moment you are prideful about yourself, your gonna think your entitled to women, stuff, and happiness. Hello sin. Goodbye wisdom. 

What about those people who don’t have that kind of God-given wisdom? For you, I have the same thing to say, don’t act like you do because of insecurity or pride. If your not skilled at something, admit it to yourself, or your gonna lead Christians astray, which is not gonna make the Big Man happy. 

What’s the point? Why does this all matter? Everyone today is looking for peace, from the terrorists (though it seems like an oxymoron) to the Atheists. Everyone wants one thing on this earth (at least most people): peace. And in this passage of scripture, James tells us how to achieve it. How? By being “pure, peacable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.” For those who make peace shall sow righteousness. 

How do we become peacemakers today? Study these qualities and one day at a time, adopt them into your lifestyle:

1. Purity

2. Peacefulness 

3. Gentleness

4. Openness to reason

5. Fullness of mercy

6. Fullness of good fruits

7. Impartialness

8. Sincerity 

Master these and you have become a peacemaker.