THE INVALUABLE TREASURE OF A WISE MAN

November 22, 2022

But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. (James 3:17-18)

The older I get, the more I value wisdom. When I encounter a wise man, it is like gold. I want to be around them. I never leave them without gaining something valuable. To brush across their life is to touch something Divine. They make the richest deposits in every life they encounter without knowing what they have done. The sweet, reasonableness of their life makes others long for the same.

Wisdom can be given momentarily, but a truly wise man or woman is crafted over time. Years of humbly listening to the Lord, studying and memorizing His Word, and having a life filled with unceasing prayer produce a life saturated with wisdom.

FROM ABOVE

Real wisdom is not man-made. James says that it “comes from above.” What the world calls wisdom is natural and even demonic, and is marked by “jealousy and selfish ambition.” It produces “disorder and every evil thing.”

God’s wisdom is different in every imaginable way. The man filled by this blessed fragrance knows this and has humbly sought God’s mind and ways throughout his life. He has pursued wisdom relentlessly.

THE TELLTALE MARKS

James gives us a list that describes such a man or woman. If you have the privilege of knowing a wise man, this list resonates. As the characteristics are read, and you think of some wise one you know, your heart leaps, and you immediately say, “Yes! That is it. That’s what I have been seeing in them all these years. That’s why I run to them for counsel. They are wise.” Wise people are …

• PURE. They are unalloyed and unsullied by the impurities of the world.
• PEACEABLE. They are peace-loving people. The silliness of strife and the destructiveness of self-absorbed living grieves them.
• GENTLE. They are not harsh nor headstrong. Their lives are courteous and considerate. This doesn’t mean they are weak. Quite the opposite. It is a strength under control.
• REASONABLE. You can talk to them. When others are beyond reason, these people are marked by an understanding and logic that makes them easy to discuss anything. To talk with them is like a quiet talk by a warm fire. They are the level heads in the middle of a storm, the leaders in conflict.
• MERCIFUL. Because of their humility, they understand that their lives are what they are by the mercy of God. They’ve been the recipients of God’s grace, so they are the first to give compassion to others.
• GOOD FRUITS. Filled with the Spirit of God, their lives yield a bountiful harvest of love, joy, peace, patience, etc. Because they are wise enough to obey God, they continually bear fruit for God.
• UNWAVERING. They are gentle enough to yield to others when appropriate but unmovable when it is time to stand. They don’t flip-flop on convictions. They never bend with the wind of cultural pressure. They stand with unusual grace and unseen power. Like their Elder Brother, they are filled with the powerful couplet of grace and truth.
• WITHOUT HYPOCRISY. Wise men and women are sincere. They are not duplicitous, saying one thing and doing another. They have become wise not only by knowing God’s knowledge but by wisely following God’s direction.
• PEACEMAKERS. Foolish, flighty men and women cannot discern why, but the wise can bring peace to almost any situation. They can calm the crowd and settle the clamorous. When opinions are flying through a meeting, a single sentence from them brings order and peace to the decision. They never settle for “peace at any price,” but they know what makes for genuine, lasting peace.

Are you becoming a wise man? Are the compiling years seeing your mind, emotions, and spirit saturated with God’s mind? Filled with His emotions and tenderized by His will? If you lack wisdom, ask for it! Make it the grand ambition of your life to be conformed to the image of Christ, who is Wisdom personified.

 

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