Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom (James 3:13).
Wisdom is the idea of having insight from understanding. The key to this understanding is a reflection of knowing God’s Word and understanding His will. This verse is surrounded by the question previously raised can a tree produce something different than its nature? Can a spring bring forth both fresh and salt water? Obviously not. The larger context is the problem of the tongue and how it can bless or curse others. For the believer who claims to have a relationship with Christ, this conflict would seem inconsistent with their new nature in Christ. If one claims to know Christ, it needs to be reflected in the way we talk to others and talk about others.
The nature of a godly person is wisdom and understanding. How would we know someone is wise? Their wisdom is reflected in their behavior. The text describes it as “good conduct”, the way one lives life on a daily basis. We should see the inconsistency when our new nature in Christ starts acting in an ungodly manner. The context would certainly include the power of the tongue. The tongue has the power to build people up or it can destroy people in seconds. The question is what is driving and motivating how we talk with people. Hopefully it is the power of the personal presence of Christ. Judging and cursing others is completely inconsistent with the nature of Christ in us. True wisdom, godly wisdom ought to match the character of Christ. True understanding of God and His will is reflected in our behavior.
The second element is what I might call the tone or attitude in which we do things. Notice the next statement in this verse: “By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.” Meekness, by definition, is the idea of gentleness of attitude and behavior in contrast to harshness in one’s dealings with others. The picture here is not a weak person but a person of great strength who knows they have the power to impact others. Rather than being condescending or critical to hurt people (the tongue – James 3:1-12) this person communicates in such a manner as to show (or manifest) a deep concern for others. Wisdom from above is described as, “… pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.” (3:17). It is contrasted with the wisdom of this world (earthly, unspiritual and demonic (3:15). It embraces bitter jealousy and selfish ambition that is boastful, then you have a problem.
Our world, both in and out of the church, needs wise people. They don’t have to have all the answers but they do need to know how to walk alongside people. The fact is that sin will make all of us look foolish – I can speak from personal experience. Problems will always be there but I have learned (a little) and continue to learn that how I interact with people and walk alongside of them is far more important than if we fix their problems or have all the answers. That old adage, “people need to know you care before they care about what you know” is not a bad saying for most of us. The encouragement here is not to live by anecdotal adages but to allow the power of Christ’s personal presence transform you into a wise and understanding person. We need and will continue to need people who can move alongside people in their journey and show them wisdom and understanding.
My encouragement is to allow Christ in you to keep on changing you so that you become wiser and more understanding and it is reflected in how you walk alongside others by your good works in the spirit of gentleness and meekness.
By His transforming presence,
Pastor Brad
