Two Wisdoms: Wisdom Shows

“Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.” (James 3:13)

Are you a wise person? According to James, if I knew you I wouldn’t have to ask that question. Having a high wisdom quotient (WQ?) isn’t something that comes from filling in the right ovals on a multiple choice test. Wisdom shows.

twowisdoms_350Wisdom stands out in our world in the same way that having purple hair or being eight feet tall stands out. What we’re going to see in this week’s study is that living wisely – with the “wisdom of heaven” – is not the norm in this zip code. It’s weird, even.

So if you’re a wise person, people will notice. They’ll see you living a good life. They’ll see you making choices like a humble person, like someone who knows the story isn’t about him or her.

Come back tomorrow to see what wisdom ain’t.

Think: If “wisdom is as wisdom does,” do you think many people would describe you as a wise person? Do you know any smart people who are not very wise? How about the reverse of that – people who live wisely without being very “book smart”?

Pray: Ask God to help you to be a wise and understanding person so that it becomes obvious by your good life and deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.

Do: Make a quick list of the 5 wisest-living people you know.