Thursday, July 22, 2010

July 22, 2010

"Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil." James 3:15
Have you ever heard the expression "wise up"?
Maybe someone has said it to you or maybe you have given that advice to others.
Perhaps those who offered that advice did not realize how wise it is. Wisdom truly does come from above so if you are going to get wise you must literally "wise up".
James makes it clear in this portion of scripture that wisdom has much more to do with what you show through your life and your attitudes than what you know. Wisdom is a function of character not intelligence. Therefore, wisdom comes from the inside out not from the outside in. Wisdom is an inside job.
Some operate under the belief that wisdom is a funtion of knowledge and education. Wouldn't that be nice if it was that simple? But that fact is for the past 50 years our nation has poured more money into education than in the previous century but to what result? Are we a better society? Have we produced citizens who possess better character? Unfortunately not.
So, if wisdom is an inside job - and it is. And if it isn't a function of merely acquiring knowledge, how do you get it? Where does it come from?
James makes it clear that wisdom is not WHAT you know it is in fact WHO you know. The Who you need to know is Jesus. Wisdom comes from above because that is where Jesus comes from. So wisdom arises from a relationship with the Source of wisdom. Do you know Him?
Wisdom begins when you confess the foolishness of your sinful ways and welcome Christ into your life by faith. That's what the Bible means when it says, "The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom."
So, to sum up: to wise up you must give up your own attempts at wisdom, look up to Him and then 'fess up to Him and then open up to Him and be willing to shape up.
Are you up for that?