Acting wisely in life

James 3:17 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.

Dealing wisely in the affairs of life does not have to cost much. In most cases wisdom entails rightly choosing between these contrasts: saying something or keeping quiet; rushing or waiting; confronting or avoiding; praying or taking practical action; weeping or laughing; forgiving or seeking forgiveness; giving or withholding; getting mad or taking it easy; doing it now or later and doing it here or there etc. Thus divine wisdom involves seeing things from God’s perspective. It is usually the product of the proper mix of words, time, place and tone.

A person of wisdom does not rush to do things without first seeking the will of God in prayer and searching the scriptures to locate the wisdom required in every situation. He or she considers the what, why, how, and when questions pertaining to a given situation before taking action or making a decision. These questions are important because they lead one to arrive at the best decision. Since wisdom is the right application of the knowledge that you understand, the above questions provide the much needed facts and figures. Growth in wisdom is measured by the decrease in blunders or mistakes one makes in life.

But what really is divine wisdom made up of? The general epistle of James lists some eight elements which constitute divine wisdom as pure, peaceable, gentleness, considerate, merciful, producing good fruits, impartial and not hypocritical. If you want to check for divine wisdom in operation in your life or in the life of another person look for these elements and others mentioned elsewhere in Scripture. Divine wisdom always contains an element of purity. Any thought, action or word deficient of purity is not from God. Divine wisdom is always peace-loving. Strife and discord are elements of worldly wisdom.

Those who walk in wisdom are peacemakers. The wisdom from above is gentle. It is never rude or stubborn. It may be firm, but always gentle. God’s wisdom is also considerate or easily entreated. It gives the feelings and needs of others first place. It is not selfish and self-seeking. Divine wisdom considers the right of others and does not infringe on them.

A person who walks in wisdom is full of mercy. They forgive offenders and also show compassion to the less privileged. A hard and unmerciful heart is from the devil. Furthermore, the wisdom of God is full of good fruits. Wisdom is justified by her fruits of peace and righteousness. The outcome of the application of wisdom in any situation is always good and beneficial to all involved.

People of wisdom are impartial, that is to say they do not discriminate people or show favouritism. They love all and treat all by the same standards. Wise people are always sincere in their heart. They are not hypocrites who say one thing while they mean another thing. They walk the talk. Their actions match their words. If they say yes, they mean it. If they say no, they mean it. Their communication is straightforward and not deceitful. What they promise, they deliver. If they fail to deliver, they are ready to apologise.

Given the above elements of divine wisdom, how do you rate yourself? Are you properly walking in divine wisdom or you tend to be wise in a worldly sense? If you find yourself wanting in divine wisdom do not despair God sees the desire of your heart and He will grant it. But He will not grant you wisdom before you ask for it. James 1:5 says that wisdom is ours for the asking. You may not mature in all the elements of wisdom at once, even if you ask and receive it. Maturity is a process. It takes time. After receiving by faith, you need to grow in dealing wisely in all your affairs combining the serpent’s wisdom and harmlessness of the dove. Walk in wisdom this year and you will succeed.

David’s success in leadership and in warfare was largely due to the fact that he acted wisely in all his affairs. It was said of Jesus that He grew in stature and in wisdom and that He acted wisely. Acting wisely does not consist in doing extraordinary things, but in doing ordinary, everyday things in extraordinary ways through divine help and guidance.

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