The Wisdom of Peace

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom... But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.

James 3:13, 17-18 | NIV

When I first started teaching I taught in a pretty rough part of the hood. For a while I would take the Blue Line to work then walk about four blocks to the school I was working at. There was this older "gentleman" who would be out sweeping his walkway and the sidewalk in front of his house. From the second he saw me to the time I couldn't hear him he would cuss me out. Every day. One day I caught him just as he was looking up and said, "Good morning, how are you?" He replied, "Fine thanks, how are you?" From that day on that was the exchange. 

Sometimes wisdom is just to keep walking. Sometimes, wisdom is waiting to respond with a kind word. Seek peace. The fruit is righteousness.

ARE YOU A WISE GUY?

"Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom." James 3:13

James moves right from taming the tongue to showing how wise and understanding you are. Kind of like saying, "OK, you talk a good game, let's see you do it." 

At one school I worked at as a categorical program advisor (that means I did go-for work for the principal) there was one teacher that when I first listened to him sounded like a very polished educator. I thought that when I walked into his room I would find a finely tuned learning environment. When I did enter his class it was chaos. He talked a good game, but, his actual classroom management skills left a lot to be desired. 

We all should desire to be holy and to know Christ intimately. James refers to "deeds done in humility that comes from wisdom". Humility is knowing who you are in Christ and living accordingly. We love because he first loved us (I John 4:19). Remember that when Christ taught the disciples how to pray he made forgiveness mandatory (Matthew 6:14-15). When we understand forgiveness we must be humble because we realize our own sinfulness. If it wasn't for God's grace in Christ's death on the cross we would still be dead in our sins! None of us is such a good person that God had to save us. Wisdom is knowing this truth and living, as in treating others with the same grace and mercy God has shown you, accordingly. 

My hope today is not to "knock you down a notch" but to encourage you to remember the grace and mercy God has shown you in Christ. He died for you. Before the creation of the universe he chose to die for you, knowing all the sins you would commit (those before and after you would accept Christ). God is graciously Sovereign. 

Father, thank you for your grace and mercy to us. Open our eyes to see your grace and mercy in our lives. Help us to live in humility. Praise be to you in us today!