Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.
James 3:13
The things of God don’t always make sense to man. To ancient Greeks, the phrase “meekness of wisdom” would have been nonsensical.* Meekness was not a well-respected trait in Greek thought.* Wisdom however, was sought after and could have referred to being skilled or experienced.*
New Testament writers, however, followed the teachings of Jesus and viewed meekness as a healthy understanding of unworthiness before God with a corresponding humility and absence of pride in relationship to others.* Some scholars view meekness as a yielding of self to teachability and responsiveness to the Word of God.* New Testament writers understood wisdom to involve an understanding that produces right attitudes and living before God.*
Who among us is wise? Are you wise? Do you reflect God’s Word in your attitude and living? Do you walk in an understanding of your lowliness before God and lack of superiority to others?
I can tell you that often I have been a fool.
If we are wise, we must show it by what we do, and what we do must align to God’s word. What we do must come from the right attitude. Our attitude must remember that only God is worthy of worship, and those around us have great value as sons and daughters made in the image of God.
Today, take a step.
Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to repent for pride. Perhaps today God wants to give you the wisdom that you have desperately needed. Maybe today God wants you to live a life that does not make sense to this world. Perhaps God wants you adjust your attitude and living. Maybe today God wants you to follow the teachings of Jesus in this area.
Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Take a moment to take that step. Invite Him to speak. He will.
Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus.
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*Blomberg, C. L., & Kamell, M. J. (2008). James (Vol. 16, pp. 171–172). Zondervan.
Guthrie, G. H. (2006). James. In T. Longman III & D. E. Garland (Eds.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Hebrews–Revelation (Revised Edition) (Vol. 13, p. 249). Zondervan.
Stulac, G. M. (1993). James (Jas 3:13–18). IVP Academic.
Moo, D. J. (2021). The Letter of James (D. A. Carson, Ed.; Second Edition, pp. 211–214). William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
Nystrom, D. P. (1997). James (p. 203). Zondervan Publishing House.