January Devotion

January 2008 – Wisdom for the New Year

Luci Swindoll, Women’s Devotional Bible; "Real Wisdom"

“…There are two kinds of wisdom, the apostle James says: worldy widom that is contaminated, ambitious and envious; and heavenly wisdom that is pure, content, merciful, and submissive. So to be spiritually wise, a person must exhibit understanding, acceptance, and peace.

James also says that the one who is understanding and wise will show it by his ‘good life.’ It’s taken me over 50 years to learn that the good lfe is not attaining a college degree, succeeding in one’s career, owning an expensive car, having money in the bank, or vacationing in Hawaii. While that stuff is wonderful and sweet to my worldy tastes, it’s not the good life.

The good life is peace – knowing that I was considerate instead of crabby, that I stood by faiothfully when all the chhipswere down for the other guy, that I sacrificially gave toa worthy cause, that Is howed impartiality when I really wanted my preference, that I was REAL in the midst of phonies, that I was forgiving, that I had the courage to defer rewardfor something better down the road. Why couldn’t I have learned this when I was younger?”

James 3: 13 – 18 – “Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing. but the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable,gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.