We looked at the results of having wisdom based in the evil of this world last time. Today we are going to consider the results of acting in the wisdom that comes from God. We’ll take the fruits of Godly wisdom listed here and compare them to the results of using the world’s wisdom.
Listed first is purity. The wisdom from God will be undefiled, unblemished, and unspotted. In other words, God’s wisdom is complete and holy. There is nothing corrupt or manipulating about God’s wisdom. It is absolutely based in good. That basis of good sets it apart from the evil, faulty, imperfect wisdom of the world.
God’s wisdom produces a life that is peace loving, always gentle and is willing to yield to others. It does not create contention and strife, like the world’s wisdom does. It does not produce arrogance and cruelty. It produces people who will be gentle and kind to others. It yields to the needs of others, instead of creating jealousy and selfish ambition in a heart. It strives to create unity, instead of prejudice.
God’s wisdom is merciful, and that mercy motivates those who follow God’s wisdom to do good deeds. Those good deeds bring about positive results in the lives of the recipients of the deeds. God’s wisdom produces mercy toward those who fail, not condemnation. These results are in stark contrast to the harm and destruction brought about when people act in the evil promoted by the world.
The wisdom from above is impartial and always sincere. It does not create division based on differences like race, nationality, gender, religious beliefs, politics, or economic levels. God’s wisdom truly seeks good for all people, instead of trying to have any one group be the most important group in any situation. God’s wisdom always places value on every life. Please notice what I am about to say. Any group of people who say their group is more important than other groups is not being led by God’s wisdom. That’s not a cliché or an excuse. It’s the truth.
The brief description by James of God’s wisdom concludes with the statement that those who seek to establish peace will plant seeds of peace and will reap a harvest of righteousness. They will be like a farmer who plants a crop and eventually reaps the good of the crop over a period of time when they follow God’s wisdom. This is the very opposite of the results of following the world’s wisdom, which produces confusion, chaos and strife in every life it controls.
The results of following God’s wisdom are good in nature and bring life and inner peace because their source is good, pure and holy. The results of following the world’s wisdom are evil in nature and bring destruction and death because their source is corrupt and evil. Let us pray that we can be led by God’s wisdom so our words and deeds will bring life, instead of death.