Wisdom from Above: James 3:17

James 3:17 written out in white letters on an olive green background...But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.

Verses to Abide In

“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 ‭3‬:‭16‬-‭18‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Digging Deeper

From Bruce Hurt:
But the wisdom from above - …from above was a rabbinical way of referring to Yahweh. This wisdom is characterized as a "good thing given and (a) perfect gift (that) is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with Whom there is no variation or shifting shadow." (James 1:17 +). This "extraterrestrial" wisdom is the gift of God and is only given to believers (Eph 2:8)

Notice how the list of traits like gentle, reasonable, etc, serve to practically undergird and ensure that this wisdom is peaceable.

Cole makes an excellent point that "also implicit in the verse is the fact that a harvest is not accidental or serendipitous. No farmer sits around doing nothing all year, then goes out into the field and says, “Whoa, look at that bountiful harvest!” If there is a harvest, it’s in part because he has worked hard to cultivate that harvest. If you see a church or a home where there is peace, it is because the members have worked to cultivate peace. They have listened to one another, respected one another, judged their own selfishness and pride, and sought to live in accordance with godly wisdom, not worldly “wisdom.”"

Also from Steven Cole:
Settling arguments peacefully in English pubs has often been a difficult task. So, in 1955, the Guinness brewing company decided that an official record was needed to pacify its customers. The Guinness Book of World Records was created. It has been a best seller ever since. By 1987, it had sold more than any other copyrighted book in publishing history! (From “Fedco Reporter,” April, 1987.) We have a far better best seller to help us to live harmoniously: the wisdom of God’s Word. But because of selfishness, pride, and jealousy, many Christians have used the Bible to attack others and to justify themselves. James wants us to apply godly wisdom to our personal lives and relationships….

All of the above commentaries are from preceptaustin.org

From the Heart

As a 20-year-old new mom, I remember being filled with prayers for the atmosphere of our home and the attitude of my heart in how I spoke to and treated my children, as well as my husband.

I was excited to have a fresh start in these little lives (our sons are only 17 months apart).

James 3:17-18 matched my prayers perfectly.

My husband, Michael, and I took several classes on parenting (I think we counted 8 of them) over the years, preparing us and encouraging us to press on in this life adventure.

Our first class was while I was pregnant with our firstborn son, Jeremy!

I appreciated having a biblical process to follow in teaching our sons in non-conflict times and to follow through during conflict times with confession, forgiveness, reconciliation, and restoration.

I loved abiding in God’s word and wisdom with them and teaching them how to do so on their own.

One mentality that was ingrained into my young heart and mind was that there is nothing we can’t work through.

Another was that even if we disagree, we agree that we want God’s will for every given situation.

So we sought God’s will together.

We sought his wisdom.

Then we acted accordingly.

These perspectives in my mind made our home a safe place.

Recently, our younger son, Nathan, and his wife, Rachael, celebrated their eighth wedding anniversary.

They now have three children of their own and are praying for and teaching them about this same wisdom from God’s word. Praise the Lord.

Now we can look back at some childhood conflicts and laugh.

I asked Michael to write this one out for us…

Our two boys are different in numerous ways, but I remember one time when they were in agreement. It was a summer day. They were between 6 and 8 years old, if I remember correctly. They were in the backyard playing with their plastic, telescoping lightsabers.

I eventually looked out the back window to find them wrestling. No. More than wrestling. Fighting. It was pretty heated.

I quickly jumped outside and pulled them apart. I sent them up to their rooms to cool down.

After a few minutes, I went into Jeremy’s room to find out what was happening.

“We were playing Star Wars,” he explained, “and I was Darth Vader, but then Nathan said he was Darth Vader! He can’t be Darth Vader when I’m already being Darth Vader!!”

I saw his logic, stifled a smile, and thought there must be more to it than that. I walked into Nathan’s room and, to my surprise, heard the exact same story with the same amount of gusto:

“I was Darth Vader, but Jeremy said he was Darth Vader!”

Michael let the boys process and then guided them in how to see and then respond to their misunderstanding.

Michael led by sowing peace and, at the same time, gave our sons tools to be peacemakers themselves.

Let's Pray

Abba,

Thank you for every good gift that comes down from above, from you.

We praise you as the Father of lights.

We praise you for not changing like shifting shadows (James 1:17).

We praise you as our Father of glory.

We ask for a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of you (Ephesians 1:17).

Is there any sin blocking me from walking in James 3 kind of wisdom right now?

Forgive me for…

We humble our hearts before you, under your mighty hand. Thank you for caring for us (1 Peter 5:6-7).

May we have this wisdom from above that is first of all pure. May our wisdom also be peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. May our wisdom also be full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. May our wisdom show no favoritism and always be sincere (James‬ ‭3‬:‭17‬ ‭NLT‬‬).

Is there any person I need to make peace with?

Please bring them to mind right now and enable me to go to them as soon as possible in you.

Help us to be intentional in sowing peace so that we can reap a harvest of righteousness (James 3:18 NIV).

Help us to look carefully how we walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time because the days are evil, that we may not be foolish, but understand what your will is (Ephesians 5:16-18).

Enable us, in the harvest of righteousness, to conform to your will in thought and deed—the fruit sown in peace—help us to sow it well! Enable us to work for and make peace in ourselves and in others, that peace which means concord, agreement, and harmony between individuals, with undisturbedness, in a peaceful mind free from fears and agitating passions and moral conflicts (James 3:18 AMPC).

May the peace of you, God, rule in our hearts (Colossians 3:15a).

O, that we would be filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God (Philippians 1:11)!

In the name of Jesus, giver of peace (John 14:27). Amen.

“Walk in Wisdom”
Ephesians 5:16-18 Song

This is a passage that impacted me as a teenager and continues to impact me as an adult. It is one I pray often and have been thankful to internalize and memorize with others.

May our God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him and overflow you with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13),

Laura
Thank you for your prayers for our ministry with No More Chainz Recovery Church! As always we were encouraged to worship with this body of believers. Michael’s message lifted us up and God gave me a song for them just this week! May God be glorified!