Earthly Wisdom vs Wisdom From Above

    Wisdom often tops the list of human virtues (Proverbs 12:8). In the past, the aged were sought after and revered for the wisdom amassed over their lifetime, and the young were encouraged to work hard so they could gain it themselves. Today, it seems that anyone – of any age - with a recording device and online access can proclaim themselves wise and thousands, if not millions, of people consume their content every day. Money talks, athleticism talks, celebrity talks, popularity talks, and people readily listen. But is it wise?

Consider these passages:

“Great men are not always wise, nor do the aged always understand justice.” (Job 32:9 NKJV)

“Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.” (Proverbs 26:12 NKJV)

“The rich man is right in his own eyes, but the poor who has understanding searches him out.” (Proverbs 28:11 NKJV)

“Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!” (Isaiah 5:20-21 NKJV)

“Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones.” (Proverbs 3:7-8 NKJV)

“Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their own craftiness”, and again, “The LORD knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” Therefore let no one boast in man…” (1 Corinthians 3:18-21a NKJV)

    James, in his epistle, teaches us how to tell the difference between earthly wisdom and wisdom that is from above.

Earthly wisdom (James 3:14-16):

• If bitter envy and self-seeking is its source (this is weakness not wisdom, consider 1 Corinthians 3:1-3)
• It is a lie to puff yourself up and call this behaviour wise (consider Romans 1:18-32)
• It does not come from above
• It is earthly (of the earth, of man’s making and prone to error and change, Matthew 7:21-23; 15:9, Romans 10:2-3)
• It is sensual (governed by passions and evil desires, consider Ephesians 4:17-24, 1 John 2:15)
• It is demonic (under the sway of the devil, John 8:44, 1 John 5:19)
• Where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing is there (nothing good can come from a heart tainted by these things)  

Wisdom that is from above (James 3:13, 17):

• Is first pure (uncontaminated)
• Then peaceable (peaceful in character and intent, promoting peace)
• Gentle (equitable, just, compassionate)
• Willing to yield (wholly convinced and ready to trust and obey commands of God)
• Full of mercy and good fruits (merciful toward others, compassion that leads to charitable deeds, good conduct that shows one's works are done in the meekness of wisdom)
• Without partiality (causing no doubt or uncertainty)
• Without hypocrisy (sincere and free from hidden agenda)

    We can use these descriptions to clearly examine the fruit of the people we consider wise – including ourselves. Let’s look at this information with honest hearts, and if the Lord wills, we’ll use the remainder of our study to dig into each part of heavenly wisdom, so we can better understand it and comprehend its great worth.   

“The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom, and his tongue talks of justice. The law of his God is in his heart, none of his steps shall slide.” (Psalm 37:30-31 NKJV)

    The LORD gives wisdom, and from His mouth come knowledge and understanding (Proverbs 2:6). Do not content yourself with your own form of wisdom (Proverbs 3:5) or with men’s wisdom; there is nothing beneficial there (Psalm 134:3-4, Jeremiah 17:5-6). Wisdom from God will be life to your soul and grace to your neck (Proverbs 3:21)! Let’s determine to seek wisdom from its very Source!!

You can do it! So can I!!   

A New Year, A New Month, A New Study: Flourishing in Wisdom

    I did not receive any suggestions for topics/Bible books/questions* to study in this new year, so I came up with a couple of my own; the first one being a topic I have long been interested in and one that I think will be beneficial for us to explore together: wisdom.

 *Note: If you have any topics/ Bible books/questions you would like to study at any point, please email me at any time throughout the year.

“Happy is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gains understanding, for her proceeds are better than the profits of silver, and her gain than fine gold.” (Proverbs 3:13-14 NKJV)

    Wisdom is attainable, all we have to do is ask of God (James 1:5), who gives to all liberally and without reproach - He will not scold or punish you, He is glad that you seek it and ask Him for it -  God knows what we have need of (Matthew 6:8), and He wants us to trust Him, seek His provision, and make our requests known to Him (Matthew 7:7-11, Philippians 4:6-7). I believe that is why the psalmist states that “the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom” (Psalm 111:10); we need to seek Him (Acts 17:26-27), we need to understand who He is and who we are before Him, and then we will know that His wisdom is the only wisdom worth seeking (Proverbs 2:1-6).  

    To prepare our minds for this study, I compiled two lists: Who Will Obtain Wisdom and The Benefits of Proper Wisdom (proper = wisdom that is from above, James 3:17). Please take the time to look at them and look up each of the Bible references.

Who Will Obtain Wisdom:

• The simple who hear/obey the testimony of the LORD (Psalm 19:7)
• The righteous (Psalm 36:39-31)
• Those who learn to number their days (understand the frailty/shortness of life in comparison to eternity, Psalm 90:12)
• Those who fear the LORD and do His commandments (Psalm 111:10, Proverbs 15:33)
• Those who seek it and search for it as for hidden treasures (Proverbs 2:1-4)
• The upright (Proverbs 2:7-9)
• The humble (Proverbs 11:2)
• The one who walks with wise men (Proverbs 13:20)
• Those who have understanding (Proverbs 17:24)
• Those who love their souls (Proverbs 19:8)
• Those who listen to counsel and receive instruction (Proverbs 19:20)
• Those who are properly disciplined and rebuked (Proverbs 29:15)
• It is given by God to those who are good in His sight (Ecclesiastes 2:26), and to the wise and understanding (Daniel 2:20-21, Romans 11:33)
• Those who learn from the Holy Scriptures (2 Timothy 3:15)
• Those who ask God for it in faith, without doubting (James 1:5-8)

Benefits of Proper Wisdom:

• The law of God is in your heart, and none of your steps will slide (Psalm 36:30-31)
• You will gain a good understanding (Psalm 111:10)
• You will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God (Proverbs 2:1-6)
• Discretion will preserve you, understanding will keep you, to deliver you from the way of evil (Proverbs 2:10-12)
• Happiness (blessedness, inner joy/contentment from living in accord to God's will), when you find wisdom and retain it (Proverbs 3:13, 18)
• It will help you walk in the way of goodness, and keep to the paths of righteousness (Proverbs 2:20)
• Its proceeds are better than the profits of silver and its gain is better than fine gold. More precious than rubies; all that you desire cannot compare to it (Proverbs 3:13-15)
• Length of days, and riches and honour (Proverbs 3:16)
• Ways of pleasantness and paths of peace (Proverbs 3:17)
• It is a tree of life to those who take hold of it (Proverbs 3:18)
• Keeping sound wisdom and discretion will be life to your soul and grace to your neck (Proverbs 3:21-22)
• You will walk in safety in your way, and your foot will not stumble (Proverbs 3:23)
• When you lie down you will not be afraid and your sleep will be sweet. You will not be afraid of trouble from the wicked because the LORD is your confidence; He will keep your foot from being caught (Proverbs 3:24-26)
• You will inherit glory (Proverbs 3:35)
• Wisdom will preserve you, keep you, promote you, bring you honour, place an ornament of grace on your head, and deliver you a crown of glory (Proverbs 4:5-9)
• When you walk you will not be hindered, when you run you will not stumble (Proverbs 4:10-12)
• You can preserve discretion and keep knowledge (Proverbs 5:1-2)
• If you are wise, you will be still wiser (Proverbs 9:9)
• You will store up knowledge (Proverbs 10:14)
• You will be commended for it (Proverbs 12:8)
• The way of life winds upwards, that you may turn away from hell below (Proverbs 15:24)
• It is better to get than gold (Proverbs 16:16)
• You will be called prudent (Proverbs 16:21)
• You will find good (Proverbs 19:8)
• A house is built through wisdom, it is established, and its rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches (Proverbs 24:3)
• Knowledge and wisdom will be like honey and honeycomb to your soul; if you have found it there is prospect and your hope will not be out off (Proverbs 24:13-14)
• Wisdom excels folly (Ecclesiastes 2:13)
• Wisdom strengthens the wise more than ten rulers of a city (Ecclesiastes 7:19)
• Wisdom makes your face shine (Ecclesiates 8:1); you will shine like the brightness of the firmament (Daniel 12:3)
• Wisdom is better than strength and better than weapons of war (Ecclesiastes 9:13-18)
• Wisdom brings success (Ecclesiastes 10:10)
• Your words are gracious (Ecclesiastes 10:12, Colossians 4:5-6)
• Wisdom and knowledge will be the stability of your times, and the strength of your salvation (Isaiah 33:6)
• The word of Christ dwells in you richly, and prepared you for teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs (Ephesians 3:16)
• Salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 3:15)
• You will receive liberal amounts without reproach from God (James 1:5)
• Your good conduct will show that your work is done in the meekness of wisdom (James 3:13)

Note: If there are any additions that need to be made to the list, please add them in the comment section on my blog (link at bottom of post), or email me (address at bottom of post). I would very much like to dig into this topic together.

    Every day is a brand new opportunity to reassess ourselves and work toward gaining new depths of knowledge of God and His will. I hope you will see that you too can gain more wisdom, and that the benefits found in attaining it, and holding onto it, far outweigh any other earthly pursuit! Wisdom is the tree of life to those who take hold of it (Proverbs 3:18) – are you ready to take hold of it? Me too!

You can do it! So can I!!

Flourish Even More in 2024 – Year in Review

    Over this year we studied areas in which we can all ‘Flourish Even More.’ Is it beneficial to us to develop a desire to keep learning and growing in our knowledge of God and His will throughout our lifetime (Psalm 92:1-15):

January - Flourish Even More in Righteousness:

    Righteousness is ‘equity of character or act.’ ‘Equity of character’ is to possess all good qualities (of God, His attributes) in perfect balance.

    God is just while still possessing compassion and mercy. God is kind but His disposition toward sin will never be altered. God is love, but His love never undermines His Truth. For example: 2 Peter 3:9 “[God] is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish (His love for us), but that all should come to repentance” – His truth states that we will perish if we do not repent and submit to Him (see Romans 2:2-11). His love offers us hope, but we have a responsibility toward Him in order to have salvation.

    All that God is, is in perfect balance! We should always be striving to be like Him in all things (1 Peter 1:13-16, 1 John 3:1-3, Ephesians 5:1), striving to conduct ourselves with that same balance (Matthew 6:33).

Passages to Read and Remember: 2 Timothy 2:22, Matthew 5:6, Philippians 3:12-15, Proverbs 21:21

February – Flourish Even More in Good Habits:

    Over this month we dug into the statement found in Titus 2:11-14 (please take time to read it); we learned that God, through the apostle Paul, packed so much good information into that one sentence!

    We learned:

• To Be Watchful of our Tendencies/Habits So We Can Change the Sinful Ones (Titus 2:12)
• Put Good Habits to Put Into Their Place (Titus 2:12, 14)
• Where to Keep Our Focus So We Can Maintain Our Attention (Titus 2:11, 14)

Passages to Read and Remember: Titus 1-3, Colossians 3:1-17, Ephesians 4:17-24, Romans 13:11-14

March – Flourish Even More in Purity:

     What is pure? God (1 John 3:3), God’s words (Psalm 12:6), every word (Proverbs 30:5-6); they are very pure (Psalm 119:140), God’s commandment (Psalm 19:8), the waters of baptism (Hebrews 10:22), and wisdom from above (James 3:17).

    Pure means clean, untainted by impurities/evil, without fault so that means that God, His words, His commands, and His wisdom are all pure, clean, untainted by evil, and without fault. Think on that again for a moment: no sin can be in God’s presence (Psalm 5:4), His words and commands are for our good always (Deuteronomy 6:24-25), and His wisdom is a tree of life from which we will obtain unsullied guidance that will lead us home to eternal life with Him (Proverbs 3:13-26). It also means that the waters of baptism (Hebrews 10:22) are without fault and it is there that we are washed and made pure from all our sins; it is there that we become children of God and begin maintaining the purity God granted us.

    What parts of us need to be pure?  We learned that every part of us needs to be pure, because every part is linked – and we with each other – so we must give constant attention to:

• Ourselves (1 John 3:1-3, Psalm 24:3-5, 51:10, 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8, 1 Timothy 4:12) and our example so we can properly teach younger women (Titus 2:3-5)
• Our souls (1 Peter 1:22-23, also read and consider John 3:1-8, 1 John 1:8-10)
• Our religion (how we put God’s instruction in action, James 1:27, 2 Corinthians 9:8)
• Our conscience (1 Timothy 5:2, 2 Timothy 1:3, Hebrews 10:19-23, 1 John)
• Our hearts (Acts 15:9, and consider Hebrews 11:6, Matthew 5:8, 2 Timothy 2:22)
• Our words (Luke 6:43-45, Proverbs 15:26, Ephesians 4:29-32, Proverbs 25:11-12)
• Our minds (2 Peter 3:1, Proverbs 16:2, 30:11-14, John 8:43-45, Matthew 7:15, 2 Timothy 4:3-4, Galatians 1:6-10, and Philippians 4:8)
• Our eyes (Luke 11:34, read and consider Psalm 101:3-4)
• Our bodies (1 Corinthians 6:18-20, Romans 12:1-2, consider Matthew 5:27-30, Ephesians 5:1-7, Hebrews 13:4, 1 Corinthians 6:13-18, also read and consider Colossians 3:1-17 and 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5)

Passages to Read and Remember: 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8, John 3:1-8, James 1:27, Hebrews 10:19-23

April – Flourish Even More in Holiness:

    Last month we spent our time together looking at the need to purify ourselves as God is pure, and this month we studied purity’s sister-attribute: holiness. Like purity, we will not see the Lord without it (Hebrews 13:14, 1 John 3:1-3).

    Pureness and holiness are similar:

• Pure means clean, untainted by impurities/evil, without fault
• Holy means sacred, set apart (to be exclusively the Lord’s), different (than the world) because you’re like the Lord

    Purity has a lot to do with our inner selves – our hearts, souls, thoughts, and intentions – the things we let in and influence us, whereas holiness is what others can see; it is our example, our actions, and behaviours. We will purify ourselves and do all that is needed to keep ourselves pure because we understand that we are now holy and set apart (from the world) for God’s service (Romans 6:19, 12:1-2). We need pure thoughts and motives to be holy in all our conduct (1 Peter 1:15).

Passages to Read and Remember: 2 Corinthians 6:16b -7:1, Colossians 1:22, Ephesians 4:20-24, 1 Thessalonians 4:7

May and June – Flourish Even More in Fruit:

    God wants us to produce good fruit. We, as Christians and members of the kingdom of God, are to be bearing the good fruit of God’s kingdom (consider Matthew 21:43). Jesus said that a tree is known by its fruits (Matthew 12:33), and we have within us (as humans with free will) the potential to bear either the fruit of sin (which leads to death) or the fruit to holiness (which leads to everlasting life, Romans 6:21-23); we can choose to be either a tree lost in the darkness of the devil’s decaying orchard or we can be planted and flourishing in the courts of our God (Psalm 92:13-14).

    Our conduct is our fruit, so we must:

• Bear fruits worthy of repentance (Matthew 3:8) – making the changes that prove that we have turned our backs to ungodliness and worldly lusts (Titus 2:11-12, 2 Timothy 2:22) while clinging to what is good (Romans 12, John 14:6)
• Be filled with the fruit of righteousness (Philippians 1:9-11, 2 Corinthians 9:9-11) – doing what is right in God’s sight, according to His commands and instructions (James 1:21-25, 1 John 3:7)
• Be fruitful in every good work (Colossians 1:9-11) – doing good for others, generously sharing our blessings with them (Psalm 68:19, 2 Corinthians 9:7-8)
• Bear good fruit/good words (Matthew 12:34-35)  - our words need to be good and beneficial (Ephesians 4:29, Colossians 4:6, Psalm 39:1a).
•  Walk in the Spirit so that the Spirit can bear His fruit in our lives (Galatians 5:16-26)  

    We all are blossoming with potential for good! We need to be determined that we go on to flourish this year in abundance of good fruit. We must remain on guard and be watchful (1 Peter 5:8, Ephesians 6:10-18), and keep ourselves firmly rooted and nourished through study and application of God’s word (Matthew 5:6, 2 Timothy 3:16-17). We must prune out the bad (thoughts, words, habits) and graft in the good (thoughts, words, habits, Proverbs 23:7a, Ephesians 4:29-31, 2 Timothy 2:22, Galatians 6:10) so that the fruit we produce is always good and beneficial!   

Passages to Read and Remember: Galatians 5:16-26, John 15:8

July and August – Flourish Even More in Peace:

    Peace, perfect peace. It is more than just a quiet moment after a chaotic day. It is a quiet mind and a calm heart even amidst the chaos. Is it attainable? YES! What God commands, we can do; what God promises, He will do!

    We need to have a heart that learns to truly love – undefeatable goodwill and benevolence that seeks only good for the other – in order to pursue peace which is a sincere wish that the other will blessed with ‘everything that make’s for man’s highest good.’

    All too often we are content with a peace that is only visible on the surface. We think, ‘there are no negative interactions, no outward upset, so we’re at peace right?’ Yet our hearts are disappointed, discouraged, angry, frustrated, irritated, or fuming. Our hearts are so darkened that the very idea of hoping that our fellow man has everything that makes for their highest good is something we sneer and scoff at. God wants us to pursue true peace, and it begins in the heart (Colossians 3:15).

Passages to Read and Remember: Philippians 4:6-8, Hebrews 12:14, Isaiah 32:17, Romans 12:15-17

September and October – Flourish Even More in Giving:

    We studied over these months that we must first give ourselves to God, then give thanks to God for all that He has done, continues to do, and for all He has promised yet to do! We learned that we need to flourish in giving glory to God, because He is worthy of our every thought of love and word of praise – He has blessed us with all we have – and we need to use these blessings to give to others! So we try to give time, give physical needs, and give generously! We are vigilant to not give opportunity to the devil, nor give heed to man-made ideas and notions, instead, we determine to give time and attention to study of the God’s word so that we won’t give offense in anything for the gospel’s sake! And we will give it our all (Colossians 3:23)! We will let God – our glorious Creator and loving Father - motivate us toward daily determined diligence to flourish even more in giving!

Passages to Read and Remember: Psalm 29:1-2, Luke 14:26-27, 33, Ephesians 4:27, 2 Corinthians 6:3, 1 Timothy 1:3b-4, 4:12-13, 15-16; 6:17-19

November and December – Flourish Even More in Knowledge:

    Why should we flourish in knowledge?

    Without knowledge of God’s righteousness, we risk making up our own (or following someone else’s, i.e. doctrines/creeds of men) – Romans 10:2-3. Knowing of God, but not pursuing His righteousness, will prevent others from knowing the truth and obeying it (Romans 1:18)!

    Refusing to grow further in knowledge reveals a complacency about God and His will (Proverbs 1:32-33, Revelation 3:15-16, Matthew 24:42, 1 Peter 5:8). Without proper knowledge we may teach and/or guide others incorrectly (Acts 8:14-24, 13:45, 14:1-2), we could be a roadblock to their understanding (Galatians 2:11-13, Luke 11:52, Hebrews 5:12-13), and we, ourselves will inevitably become weak (Hebrews 5:12-14).

“…attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” (Colossians 2:2b-3 NKJV)

Passages to Read and Remember: Proverbs 1:7, Ecclesiastes 7:12b, Ephesians 1:15-23, Colossians 1:9-11

    You can look at any of the posts made this year (and in previous years) by going to: faithfullyflourishing.blogspot.ca There is a month by month listing along the right-hand side of the page, as well as a keyword listing that you can click and find all posts pertaining to that keyword.

    It is my hope that throughout this year-long study you have taken time to consider areas in which you can continue to grow and flourish. Maybe some of the areas we have studied this year fanned the flame of your service and ignited your determination to develop further. May our gracious and glorious God bless you as you continue to faithfully flourish!

Because you can do it! And so can I!!

 

Note: I will be taking a break over the next two weeks. If the Lord wills, I will resume posting on January 6, 2025. If there are any topics or books of the Bible you would like to study in the new year, please email me, any time, at catharine.fairchild@gmail.com. If you have any questions you would like answered in form of a post, send them along as well.