"Whose Wisdom Is It?"

Scripture: James 3:13-18

In Bishop Will Willimon’s book “Sinning Like a Christian”, which focuses on the 7 deadly sins, he writes that of the seven, pride may be the worst of all. He writes that this is true because, first, it is the most attractive of all sin, and second, it nearly always leads us to embrace other sin. Proverbs 16:18 tells us that pride is the precursor to destruction! And it seems that it is the very gifts that God grants us that we become the most prideful over!

But how do we know when pride is beginning to worm its way into our life? How do we see it for what it truly is, that it is nothing more than pure negativity that can only lead us away from God, and blocks our vision of the blessings that the Lord is providing? How do we see it for what it truly is – namely sin?

In our text today, James tells us that there are two kinds of wisdom, or vision. There is the kind that comes from the Lord, and the kind that is elevated and adored in the world. So with that, let’s see what each of these tell us about the effect that Pride has on our lives.

Read James 3:13-16

“If your life is filled with envy and selfish ambition, don’t brag about it!” Strange commandment, isn’t it! Why would anyone do that?
After all, who goes around saying “I like the car he just bought – I want it!” Or “I want to have more power and money than my boss has!” Oh, there may be a few folks that think and talk that way, but very few.

But how about those who so admire the status, or job, or life style that someone else has, that they want to be just like them? That is just as envious as the first example!
How about those who never had much prestige or success as a child, but expect great things – those “great things” that they never had (!) – for their children? To be a sports star, to be president of Honor Society, to become a lawyer or doctor, to be wealthy, and to never have to be a plumber, or laborer, or a “stay at home Mom”, all because that is exactly who Mom or Dad are but never wanted to be. This is a form of envy, too.

And what about “selfish ambition”? Is it wrong to want to be the best at what you do? Certainly not, but the “selfish” part comes when the desire is intended to make you look better than someone else! There is nothing wrong in wanting to improve your skills, or to learn new ways, or to be recognized by your employer for doing an exceptional job, but when we brag about it, when we use these to show off to others, when we use our benefits and successes to belittle someone else, that’s when we get into trouble.

And it all seems to center on that age old bug-a-boo PRIDE! And James tells us that these attitudes are not from God! But how do we know that, and what are we to do about it?
In Micah 6:6-8, the prophet asks the question “What of my life should I bring with me as I come to honor the Lord?” And he offers a number of suggestions that have to do with physical sacrifices such as burnt offerings, and great numbers of animals, and even the sacrifice of your first born child, all as a sign of regret for your sin. But the prophet answers his own question with these words – “And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

Think about it:
How could we possibly “act justly”, if we are constantly trying to appear better than someone else? The justice that we are to show can never be about ourselves – it is about offering, and revealing, the truth in a way that benefits the other person - even if it puts us in a less than honorable light!
How could we possibly “love mercy” if we withhold our best from another? The Lord blesses us with success and resources and position, not for our own benefit, but so that we can help, and provide for, and bring blessings to another.
How could we possibly “walk humbly with God” if we think that we are better than everyone else? In Mark 9:33-35, Jesus tells us that greatness has nothing to do with being first, about placing ourselves above all the rest! Greatness in God’s Eyes is about taking last place so that another can be first, that being the best can only come by being a servant to others.

The wisdom that comes from the world is all about being on top and making sure that everyone else knows that! You are in charge, you have the authority, and everyone had better respect me for that!
Sounds like pride at work, doesn’t it? And it is!

Read James 3:17-18

It’s interesting that James reveals the attributes of heavenly wisdom - not simply as the opposite of that which comes from the world, but as what will result from living in God’s brand of wisdom. The list that James offers is reminiscent of Paul’s list of Fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-26. And just as a reminder, the list includes “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Exercising Godly Wisdom, Paul writes, can only occur when the earthly wisdom that is in us has been crucified – or put to death – by faith in Christ. The point is that the two can never co-exist in our life!

So how can we readily recognize the difference between God’s wisdom, and that which is espoused by the people of the world? Even though James doesn’t actually mention it, it is in what comes from the use of each brand of wisdom.
Earthly wisdom brings nothing but conflict and oppression and contention and bitterness. Heavenly wisdom brings unity, and cooperation, and encouragement, and the Fruit of the Spirit.
Heavenly wisdom is about equality – not in the way that God distributes his blessings, but in how the blessings are used and shared by us. The earthly version is about disparity, and discrimination, and imbalance in life.
Heavenly wisdom bring satisfaction and contentment to all, and not just for a few. Earthly wisdom brings the best for only a few, and dissatisfaction and discontent to everyone else.

So look around you – which is at work in the world today? Which of the “wisdoms” do you see playing out? The answer isn’t all that hard to come to, is it! But it also isn’t about being a Robin Hood – stealing from the rich and giving to the poor! It’s about those who will use their blessings to bless others. After all, that is the basis behind God’s blessings, first to Israel, and then to the Church, and the Lord wants us to use his Wisdom, and to completely reject the ways of earth.
Genesis 12:2 – “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.”
1 Peter 3:8-9 – “Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil, or insult with insult, but with blessings, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.”

It seems that we who have been blessed, in whatever way that has come, are to share it with others. There is a saying making the rounds today – “pay it forward”. There is a “Pay It Forward Foundation”, there is even a “Pay It Forward Day”. Personally, though, we shouldn’t need to be reminded to share our blessings, and we shouldn’t confine the act to one day a year! It should become a way of life for us.
We should be looking for opportunities to live in Godly Wisdom every moment of every day, and not just wait for them to become obvious.
In Luke 14:12-14, Jesus tells us that when we host a dinner, don’t invite friends and others who can repay us for the kindness, but to invite the poor, the homeless, and all who could never even begin to reciprocate the favor. And the implication is that we shouldn’t limit it to meals – it should include every aspect of life!

Just remember that you will never be able to out give God! But when you do all that you can to make another life a little better, the Lord will remember that you walked in Godly ways, and lived in Godly wisdom, and that you rejected the prideful and selfish ways of earth.
And when we do, the Lord will be praised, instead of us! And that's the way it should be.