Wisdom from Above

Godly wisdom and worldly wisdom are not the same. Worldly wisdom is based on self-promotion. People controlled by desire for worldly status or wisdom will try to promote themselves. They cannot be trusted because their motives are warped—and they will use their influence for personal gain. They eventually cause problems, For where envy and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. (Jas. 3:16 KJV)

James warned against worldly wisdom when he said, This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. (v. 15)

Godly wisdom, on the other hand, is characterized by meekness. James has something to say about it, too: But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace. (v. 17,18)

Lord, help us desire godly wisdom.

Originally published November 28, 1986.
Picture: Viewed from the street, Winona, MN, 2009. Photo by Solveig.

Restrictions, Rights, and Freedom

Occasionally we hear much about restrictions—they’re supposed to be bad because they limit freedom. Or we hear about rights—they’re supposed to be good because they allow freedom.

But perhaps true freedom is unrelated to either rights or restrictions. What if it’s related to the desires of the heart. Paul had something like that in mind when he said, where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. (II Cor. 3:17 NKJV)

How can that be?

When we respond to God in love, He grows fruit in our lives. And, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. (Gal. 4:22-23)

When the Spirit of the Lord operates in our hearts, we are free from greed, free from competition, free from pretense, free from hate. Even though these are natural human traits, if we let Him, God can gradually remove them and the hurts they’ve created. And then we are truly free. Free to respond with openness to God and to others.

Originally published May 21, 1993.

Picture: Container flowers, Patty's garden, 2009. Photo by Solveig.

With the Eye of Faith

Jesus put a great deal of effort into the disciples. They were His trainees. Before He died, He said to Father God, “They were Yours. You gave them to Me . . . Now they have known all things which you have given Me are from You.” (Jn. 17:6b,7 NKJV)

Jesus said that even when He knew the disciples did not understand much of what He was saying to them. He even knew they would scatter at the time of His crucifixion. Yet He invested in the disciples because His Father told Him to—and because He believed His Father. He continued to pray and to work according to His Father’s Word concerning them.

Jesus looked at the disciples with the eye of faith, seeing not only who they were at the time, but who they would become. He believed they would develop into mature apostles. He even believed, in spite of how it seemed, that His time with them was bearing fruit, “Oh righteous Father!” he said, “The world has not known You . . . and these have known that You sent Me.” (v. 25)

Originally published November 30, 1990.