One of the most prized possessions throughout history has not been gold, diamonds, or silver but wisdom. People instinctively recognize, as King Solomon did, that wisdom leads to all manner of treasures and success. The wisest person in the room typically enjoys the most successful life.
Two problems with wisdom, however, perennially trip people up. The first is that they often don’t know what to do with it. King Solomon was the wisest person of his age, yet his heart drifted away from God so that he no longer wanted to take what he knew to be the prudent path (1 Kings 11:4-6). King Absalom had two wise counsellors available to him, but he chose to listen to the wrong one (2 Sam. 16:15-17:23). King Nero had the astute stoic Seneca as his advisor but ultimately turned against him. As Proverbs notes, wisdom cries out in the streets, yet concludes, “. . . I have called and you refused, I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded” (Prov. 1:24).
The second problem is far more insidious: people often confuse godly wisdom with worldly wisdom. Godly wisdom “works,” and the world is attracted to practices that bring success. It is interesting how secular leadership authors have been “discovering” practices such as servant leadership and the value of integrity as if they are modern leadership phenomenon! Additionally, people often mistakenly assume that if something makes sense to them, it must be wise. This notion is patently untrue.
Some interesting books highlight this issue. Two of those books are Why Smart People Can Be So Stupid (aff link) edited by Robert J. Sternberg and Overcoming the Dark Side of Leadership (aff link) by Gary L. McIntosh and Samuel D. Rima. Both books analyze why seemingly brilliant leaders made incredibly stupid mistakes. They certainly did not intend to jeopardize their leadership, reputation, or marriage, but their actions did exactly that. Simply being smart or following commonly accepted practices does not mean someone is acting wisely.
This truth is manifest in today’s highly polarized society. One of the most common attacks on political rivals is to question an opponent’s intelligence. If you can convince people your rival is stupid, you don’t have to address that person’s platform or record. Unfortunately, I see this practice in Christian circles as well. Christians have debated and discussed theology and biblical interpretation for 2,000 years. This discourse has led to a robust, well-thought-out faith. But with the advent of social media and a pervasive media, people do not merely agree to disagree these days. Many Christians lampoon and attempt to disparage people who hold a divergent view. Sadly, the Pharisees are alive and well. These Pharisees not only point out other people’s lack of wisdom, they mock those with whom they disagree and act in a haughty, self-righteous manner. They may have a high IQ, and they may have worldly wisdom, but they are grievously failing to act with godly wisdom.
Notice what the apostle James says about godly wisdom: “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy” (James 3:17). We would do well to carefully study the wisdom of heaven!
Godly wisdom is pure. It is not tainted or politicized. It is clearly correct.
It is peaceable. There are too many would-be leaders today who claim to have the corner on truth, but all they do is cause hurt and division. God’s wisdom draws disparate groups together rather than driving them further apart. I have often heard the ridiculous statement, “He must be doing something right. Look at all the people who are angry at him!” The truth is, having a lot of people upset at you may just mean you are a jerk! Godly wisdom is peaceable.
It is gentle. In modern politics, the mantra is, “Take no prisoners.” Politicians seek to destroy their opponent’s reputation with blatant lies and inuendo. Rather than engaging in genuine debate, politicians merely try to yell louder than their adversary. But godly wisdom relies on truth, not volume. It is gentle because it is humble. It is also gentle because it recognizes that wisdom is proven over time without bullying people.
Heavenly wisdom is willing to yield. It does not compromise its beliefs or change its mind. But it declines to continue arguing or debating when doing so is futile. At times, wisdom listens to others rather than shouting its own opinions more vociferously. Occasionally, wisdom means withdrawing from the battlefield to fight another day.
Godly wisdom is full of mercy and good fruits. True wisdom doesn’t mock its opponents. It doesn’t question people’s intelligence. It is merciful. The tell-tale sign of true wisdom is that it produces many good fruits. Some people present themselves as experts, yet they experience constant conflict and broken relationships. True wisdom produces good fruit.
True wisdom is without partiality. That is, it applies to everyone in all circumstances. In today’s polarized climate, people condemn members of other political parties but hold their fire when their own party acts the same way. True wisdom applies universally.
Finally, godly wisdom is without hypocrisy. Unfortunately, hypocrisy is commonplace. People loudly condemn others for the very behavior they practice themselves. Or people promote issues that are self-serving.
Modern society desperately needs godly wisdom to guide its institutions and address its problems. One would think that the Church would stand in stark contrast to the world by the way it uses heavenly wisdom. But Christians too often function the same way the world does. They loudly proclaim that they know the truth, but their behavior is riddled with inconsistencies and hypocrisy. Social media only exacerbates this discrepancy because people can pontificate via the Internet without taking time to think, pray, or study the subject first. Today we are inundated with far too many opinions and far too little wisdom.
Consider whether what you are saying, promoting, or thinking is characterized by God’s wisdom or the world’s wisdom. Remember, just because something makes sense to you or a prominent leader holds the same opinion does not mean it lines up with God’s thoughts or His ways.
Society desperately needs people who use and promote God’s wisdom. Strive to be someone who lives and ministers wisely.
