Characteristics of Godly Wisdom (Part 4 of 8)

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(James 3:17)  But the wisdom from above is first (1)pure, then (2)peaceable, (3)gentle, (4)open to reason, (5)full of mercy and (6)good fruits, (7)impartial and (8)sincere.

(4) Open to Reason (willing to yield-NKJV)(submissive-NIV)

(of a person) having sound judgment; fair and sensible

No person, no matter how wise is perfect. The word talks about the wise not being above reproach and that a person willing to learn is wiser still. An open ear and a still tongue could be the difference between imparting wise counsel and creating a barrier with a person who feels judged, condemned and misunderstood. All of which reduce the connection and trust required to lead people to Godly wisdom. Being locked into a position and being unable to receive relevant information hurts every party involved in potentially wise and healing interaction. Even if all information is known, an open ear can lead to a connection that serves future purpose for God’s glory.

Characteristics of Godly Wisdom (Part 3)

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(James 3:17)  But the wisdom from above is first (1)pure, then (2)peaceable, (3)gentle, (4)open to reason, (5)full of mercy and (6)good fruits, (7)impartial and (8)sincere.

(3) Gentle (considerate-NIV)

(of a person) mild in temperament or behavior; kind or tender

Gentleness is the outward manifestation of kindness. We as believers are secure in the Lord’s power. We possess the same Holy Spirit that Jesus did. Because we are sure of that power and the strength of God we can be gentle with the way we impart wisdom to those who seek the light but are scared and frustrated as they work through their sinfulness. We must rely on gentleness found in wisdom to draw people to God and His light. Moving away from gentleness drives people away and depends there fallen position.

Characteristics of Godly Wisdom (Part 2)

James 3:17)  But the wisdom from above is first (1)pure, then (2)peaceable, (3)gentle, (4)open to reason, (5)full of mercy and (6)good fruits, (7)impartial and (8)sincere.

(2) Peaceable (peace-loving-NIV)

inclined to avoid argument or violent conflict

Godly wisdom always seeks peace. It always has peace at its core. Words meant to hurt or injure don’t create peace. Words of wisdom are meant to build up and never tear down. Peace is attained through kindness. Imagine a situation where we come alongside a lost soul as opposed to standing across from them. Imparting wisdom from a position of partnership instead of opposition allows peace to flourish. Human emotion allows wisdom to become tainted with hurt, resentment, and ideology. Poor wisdom seeks an outcome at the expense of peace. True wisdom allows peace as the words are allowed to grow the recipient over time.

Characteristics of Godly Wisdom (Part 1)

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(James 3:17)  But the wisdom from above is first (1)pure, then (2)peaceable, (3)gentle, (4)open to reason, (5)full of mercy and (6)good fruits, (7)impartial and (8)sincere.

(1) Pure

not mixed or adulterated with any other substance or material

Godly wisdom is not tainted with the sin and emotion of man. Humans are born into selfishness. They feel the need for retribution and are quick to anger. They do not have the same qualities as God, which makes the act of humanizing God to fit a human standard laughable. The purest way to have wisdom as a fallen human is through love. Not the human version of deserved love, but the unconditional love God has for His creation. A love that is not based on the recipient and their actions but on the provider and their steadfastness found in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Fellowship

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As believers we are called to fellowship. It is tremendously difficult to cultivate and grow your faith unless you are involved with people with a common pursuit who can help you during struggles as you do the same for them. (Colossians 2:2) My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ. Fellowship can also be viewed in its ability to sanctify us. As we deal with other children of God it is inevitable that we will face disappointment which requires us to view people with the eyes of God and subsequently grow in our Christ-likeness. Part of fellowship is leaning on another person or group as we struggle through the difficult existence as God’s light in a dark world.

In my naive spiritual immaturity I found myself let down repeatedly as I sought mentorship to guide me through this unfamiliar walk. I know that my hungry mind would be looking to soak up and explore my walk. I feel that reading and trying to dig deeper into scripture is my way of worship. I soak up the light of the Lord and I grow in faith as I see how His way is greater than what I could have dreamed. His provision is vastly more than I could have imagined let alone find. It is hard to explain how it feels to know that you are holding the hand of God and letting Him guide you through this maze of tribulation. Growing in faith and maturity as we walk allows us to close our eyes during the times the darkness becomes too much. Fellowship is still a struggle for me as I wait for the mentors God has designed to help me grow. My faith in His plan gives me the patience to let those plans unfold, and not over reach. I have to realize that moving forward in my own power will leave me guided by people who might make a crooked path.

Sense of God (Conclusion)

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Unimaginable God

We read through this long winded build up to open up the idea that the world around us is a different place for each of us. It helps us to appreciate our differences as well as our similarities. We can look at the list above and realize that God encompasses all of those things because He is all things. Anything we perceive is created by God. Our ability to perceive those things and subsequently God is determined by the way God uniquely designed each of us. Let’s make the above example a math problem for explanation sake. We listed seven senses where many more have been added by science. Let’s say we are 90% similar in our perception through each sense, which I think is a bit high. With 90% as our guess we multiple 0.9 coherence for each sense (0.9*0.9*0.9*0.9*0.9*0.9*0.9) = 0.4783. This means that with an over estimated similarity and an underestimated number of ways to sense the world, we only have a 47.83% similarity of experiencing this finite world. How different can an infinite God be to each of us? This goes to show why it is so important that we rely on a personal relationship with God through the Holy Spirit and Scripture to know our God. How uniquely He communicates and guides each of us. I feel that it is important that each of us understand this concept and that teaches of the Word instill in their students how to discover God and His work in their individual lives. Rely less on a picture of God and more on the unique relationship He desires with each of His chosen people. Each person is design for a unique purpose, in a unique way. We must open up the eyes of the faithful to the amazing ways that God can work through them. We must not put the unimaginable God in a box the size of our understanding. We must be comfortable with the fact that we can never fully understand God. We understand what He wants us to understand and we know God the way we were meant to know our Heavenly Father.

Sense of God (Our Senses)

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Sight

What are the odds that we see the same exact colors? It has been discovered that some eyes are sensitive to different wavelengths of light. This means that two people seeing purple might a red version versus a blue version. Some people are completely color-blind, so couldn’t a little color-blindness exist in each of us? What are the odds that each shape or object is seen exactly the same way? Some people need glasses due to physical eye changes. Some people might have differences in the way the brain receives the stimuli. The point being that we could never be exactly sure what the person next to us sees exactly.

Smell

Have you ever been sitting next to a person and asked if they smell something you smell? Have you ever had a friend who hated the smell of something you enjoyed? Is that based on a difference of sensory nerves, transmission to the brain, or preference? We can see this in many instances where people can’t smell certain chemicals or odors. So we can conclude that we almost certainly don’t smell exactly the same smell as those around us. Fun fact: 80-90% of what we think we taste is actually based on smell, that’s why we can’t taste when we are congested.

Taste

It is all too common for people to differ in their taste for certain foods. Have you ever wondered if they taste the same food you do? Are there number of taste buds different, Does there brain sense it the same way, or is it personal preference of a similar taste? Based on the above fun fact, their sense of smell could play a pivotal role as well.

Hearing

We have seen a dog perk up when we don’t hear anything. None of us can hear a dog whistle. There was a ring tone at one time that students could supposedly hear but the teacher could not. It’s been shown that some people can hear higher pitch voices better than lower and vice versa. Some people are hard of hearing, while others are sensitive. Who can say for sure that a bird sounds the exact same to each of us? Who can be sure that we all don’t hear the world in completely different ways? Each of us may miss small pieces due to our different abilities.

Touch

I know many people who don’t like things due to texture. Who can say that an object feels the same to two people? How many nerve differences exist in people’s fingers? What are the odds that the brain distinguishes between the signals in the same way? Two people may both feel a rough surface but what is the variation of the roughness of that surface? Some people don’t like their hands to feel oily while others function without care. Is that a sensory difference or a preferential difference?

Intuition

How many times has a person’s intuition saved another person? One person had that gut feeling while the other didn’t. Was it a lack of intuition or a lack of sensitivity to that intuition? Who can say? Why is one person making money in stocks while another loses out? This may seem like an unconventional sense but it adds to the illustration of how differently people sense and react to the world around us.

Equilibrium

This goes to show people’s reaction to outside stimuli. How often do we see a person wearing a jacket while we have shorts on? Cars now come with duel temperature control. Why do some situations cause people to react wildly while the person next to them stays calm? Some people prefer to be outside while others stay indoors. Some people are likely to trip over their own feet while another has flawless balance. This list could go on but consider peoples comfort with the external stimulus of the earth.

Sense of God (Intro)

 

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Humans survive based on our ability to perceive the world around us. Have you ever considered how differently we sense the world compared to those around us? Do we see the same color tree when we look outside? Dose fresh air smell the same to the person next to you? Is the air feel the same blowing across my skin as it does someone else? Just imagine the possibility of how different the world might seem to the people around us. Then consider the disorders that distort the perception of some people. Consider the physiological differences that change with age, environment, or lifestyle. The number of senses that a person has is debatable by science. I’m going to list a few and discuss those. Please allow this to open your mind to the value of our differences. I’ll ask us to think about sight, smell, taste, hearing, touch, intuition, and equilibrium.

Know YOUR God

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As we grow in fellowship and relation with other believers we are exposed to the God they know. Most likely a picture of God painted by parents, older relatives, previous church experience, friends, etc. We are asked to come together with other believers to be able to more fully understand the Infinite God (Colossians 2:2). It is important that we show caution as we grow in knowledge and spiritual maturity. Humans, in there fallibility, have a habit of humanizing God. They attach their expectations and unfounded beliefs to Him. Some of these beliefs are given to them from people they trust as leaders. These leaders are fallible as all of us are. 

I challenge you to know God the way He desires to be known. The only ways to do that are from His word and from the silence in prayer where He speaks to your spirit. His Holy Spirit acts in those who receive it, in order to be an example of God to this world. You must know God’s truth through His word and pray for God to speak truth as He moves through you in His Spirit. Don’t let your walk with the Lord be less than it’s supposed to be because you didn’t seek God’s face with all your heart. Don’t let the mistakes and misconceptions of others guide you in your relationship with YOUR Heavenly Father.