James: Wisdom From AboveSample

Just as a tiny rudder steers a mighty ship or a tiny spark ignites a great forest, we often find ourselves controlled by a small lump of flesh in our mouths. ‘No human being can tame the tongue’, says James. Our mouths are like fountains that words come pouring out of. Bitter words come from bitter hearts, and words of blessing come from hearts that have been blessed.

But if no one can tame the tongue, or we notice ‘salty’ words and curses revealing to us the darkness within our hearts, what can we do? We can’t put a leash on our tongue to fix our hearts. However, what’s impossible for human beings is possible for God. He is able not only to tame our tongues but to transform our hearts. When He gives us His Holy Spirit, our hearts are transformed from saltwater into freshwater springs that well up to eternal life. When we live by the Spirit, the fruit of love, joy and peace grow in our hearts and flow from our mouths.

Look at how James talks about the wisdom that God gives us: pure, peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits. This is the kind of wisdom God is eager to give us, without finding fault. It sounds a lot like the fruit of the Spirit, who Jesus tells us in Luke 11:13 that God is eager to give us.

Once again, this transformed life – wisdom from above – is contrasted with a counterfeit. James has previously hinted at the demonic nature of counterfeit faith; even the demons believe there is one God. But now he comes right out and calls this counterfeit wisdom earthly, unspiritual and demonic. The challenge is ramping up. The counterfeit is not just a lesser version of a life changed by Jesus. It’s a demonic attempt to deceive us. James offers us these examples so that we won’t be deceived, so that we will be able to recognize our need for Jesus and turn to the One who’s eager to save us and make us new.

Reflection: How can you see the Spirit at work in your life? Is there anything you need to turn away from as you ask God to give you wisdom from above?