True Wisdom

How do you decide who to listen to? Where do you look for advice and guidance? I have been watching some of the contestants on Australian Idol in the last few weeks. What has amazed me most is the varied and often contradicting comments made by the judges. Mark and Marcia nearly always disagree. Kyle is sometimes encouraging but often rude. Dicko is focussed on what will sell records. If you were a contestant whose advice would you follow?

It can be confusing trying to work out who to believe and whose ideas to follow. What we really need is someone who is “wise”. One dictionary defines “wise” like this:

“Knowing much from experience- able to make sensible decisions and judgments on the basis of personal knowledge and experience” (Encarta Dictionary)

But how do you decide which people are like this? James asks and answers this question when he writes:

“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 NIV)

Wisdom is more than knowing or saying the “right” thing. It can be seen in the way that a person lives and the attitudes that they express.

Some of the important features to look for in a wise person are described below:

“But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.” (James 3:17)

This contrasts this with earthly “wisdom” which creates trouble and strife for its own ends.

“But if you hold on to bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15 Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. 16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.” (James 3:14-16)

Who are the “wise” people around you? Do you seek out and listen to their guidance? What kind of wisdom does your life reflect – that which comes from heaven or that which is “earthly”?

Taming the tongue

Can you think of a time when you said something that you later regretted? Have you ever thought to yourself, ‘I wish I hadn’t said that’? Our words have the power to encourage and bless others. But they also have the ability to wound and curse. James describes the tongue as ‘a restless evil, full of deadly poison’. He also says that ‘No one can tame the tongue’ (James 3:7-9). Without God’s help this is true. If you find that hard to believe, try going for 24 hours without saying anything that you would prefer not to have said. Then check with your friends and family to see if they agree that you’ve had a perfect day!

Jesus tells us that what comes out of a person’s mouth reflects what is in their heart.
(Matthew 12:34) So, attempting to clamp our lips leaves things too late. Instead,
we need to look at the attitudes and thoughts which feed our speech. In Proverbs
it says, ‘Guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life.’ (Proverbs 4:22) What we ‘deposit into’ our thoughts and attitudes is what we will later ‘withdraw’ in our conversations. If our heart is filled with bitterness, criticism and pride this is what will come out in our speech.

To really tame the tongue, we need to surrender our hearts and minds to the goodness and guidance of God. The apostle Paul tells Christians that they can have ‘the mind of Christ’. (1 Corinthians 2:16) He also urges them to surrender their thoughts to God. (Romans 12:2) As we do this, our tongue will reflect the positive values described in the Proverbs below:

‘The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.’
(Proverbs 18:21)
‘Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing’.
(Proverbs 12:18)
‘Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue.’
(Proverbs 17:28)

Jesus also says, ‘But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.’ (Matthew 12:36-37) For most of us, this is a disturbing idea. While we may not be able to ‘tame our tongue’, this is not a cause for despair or an excuse for abuse. Instead, it is a reminder that we need God’s help to live like Jesus.

Do you use your tongue to bless or curse others? Does the way that you speak honour God?

A real faith

I was talking to a friend one day who said, “I asked Jesus in to my life but nothing happened”. As a result, he had given up on the idea of being a Christian. So, I asked him what he did after he had prayed asking Jesus into his life. I also asked him what he expected to happen as a result of his prayer. He said that he thought he would somehow “feel different”, but nothing had changed. This is a common misunderstanding of what it means to become a follower of Jesus Christ.

Perhaps, it is because Christians often emphasise dramatic conversion experiences. It is common to hear stories about people who have turned from violence, drugs etc. The apostle Paul who was dramatically changed when Jesus appeared to him in a blinding light is another example. While it is true that Jesus does make a difference to people’s lives, the way that this occurs can vary. For some people a sudden change does take place.

However, for other people there is a growing awareness of the presence and reality of Jesus. The story of two people walking along on the road to Emmaus is an example of this. (Luke 24:13-35) The risen Lord Jesus began to walk with them but they did not recognise him. He asked them thought provoking questions. He explained the teaching of the Bible to them. Finally, he shared a meal with them and their “eyes were opened” and their “hearts warmed”.

Whether our faith in Jesus comes suddenly or slowly it needs to be expressed in some way. We will not see changes in our lives or know the fullness of a relationship with Jesus Christ until we express our trust in God by doing something about it. This includes a trusting surrender to God of the things that are important to us. James uses the example of Abraham to illustrate this point:

^“Does some stupid person want proof that faith without deeds is useless? ^21 Well, our ancestor Abraham pleased God by putting his son Isaac on the altar to sacrifice him. ^22 Now you see how Abraham’s faith and deeds worked together. He proved that his faith was real by what he did. ^23 This is what the Scriptures mean by saying, ‘Abraham had faith in God, and God was pleased with him.’ That’s how Abraham became God’s friend.^” (James 2:20-23 CEV)

Abraham had waited a lifetime for a son of his own. Now, it seemed that God was asking him to give up that which was most precious to him. His willingness to do this showed that he really trusted God, even believing that God could bring Isaac back to life. (Genesis 22, Hebrews 1:17-19)

Have you tried Christianity but found that “nothing changed”? How are you expressing your faith in God and living it out? Is there something or someone that God is calling you to surrender to him?