My algorithm brings to me a lot of anger and hatred. I am thankful that I’ve searched for enough positive material that most of what comes to me comes from Christian sources. I am not as exposed to the worst vitriol on the internet. However, our world is incredibly polarised. This means I am not fully spared the quarrels and fights out there, because much of those quarrels and fights are within the Christian space.
The anger and grievance of polarisation is beginning to get to all of us. And it’s contagious. So contagious that we begin to think this is normal and even righteous. Meek was once a word we celebrated in Christian circles, but now more and more of us despise it.
I am away on vacation, and I retreated into the book of James. I was starving for some wisdom. The book of James is often considered the wisdom literature of the New Testament, with parallels to Old Testament books such as Proverbs. I was stopped short by James’ question: “Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.” (James 3:13)
Meekness of Wisdom:
Wisdom is meek. It is gentle. It is power under godly control. It is sober-minded. God is the epitome of wisdom. When I think of the wisdom of God, I always go back to the Apostle Paul’s song in Romans 11: “Oh the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! ‘For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor? Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?’ For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.” God’s wisdom stretches far more infinitely than we could ever comprehend. And this wisdom is clothed in meekness, and we who belong to God are called to emulate this wisdom. The wisdom of God is worth more than diamonds or rubies, it is beyond compare, and if we ask for it, God “gives generously to all without reproach.” (James 1:5)
I confess that I don’t often equate wisdom and meekness. It was surprising for me to read this in James again, and stop and meditate upon it. Human wisdom is often equated with some kind of strength or type A, leadership personality. It’s equated with success. Power. Riches. Fame. I had begun to forget that God’s wisdom, true wisdom, is paradoxical to human archetypes. The polarisation of our present moment can make us forget the mysterious meekness of wisdom. We can be tempted to believe that we need to shout loudly and harshly about our take on which ‘side’ is righteous. It seems foolish to seek to be clothed in the meekness of wisdom.
I needed the reminder we have from Paul in 1 Corinthians:
“But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that as it is written, ‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.’” (1 Cor 1:27-31).
Christians belong to an upside-down Kingdom. One where we boast in God alone, not in intelligence, personality, strength, success, riches or fame. God works in mysterious ways. In his wisdom, he is glorified through weakness, and through what is low and despised. I was in desperate need of this reminder this week. I am physically weak. I am spiritually weak. I am not incredibly smart. I do not have success or riches or fame. I have no way to exert power in the world. I needed to be reminded that God’s wisdom is beautiful. It fascinates me how different it is from the world’s wisdom. And God gives His wisdom to those who ask for it. It’s unbelievable, but such a treasure.
In Opposition to Wisdom:
It's also been a little while since I have considered what is in opposition to wisdom. Understanding what wisdom is not helps me to deepen my understanding of what wisdom actually is.
“But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.” (James 3:14-16)
Bitter jealousy and selfish ambition should not co-exist with wisdom. When we allow our grievances to grow into bitterness and jealousy, we have failed to live in the meekness of wisdom. When we pursue selfish ambition over God’s sovereign will over our lives, we have failed to live in the meekness of wisdom. To be angrily envious of what those on the other end of our desires, or on the other end of the political spectrum seem to have or want is not wise. This is not the way of the New Testament church. When we seek control over others for the sake of our own comfort and lose sight of God’s control in this world, we are not living in wisdom. This is not ‘the way’ Jesus instructed us in. This is the contrast to meek wisdom and it is folly. I need to ask God to search me and show me if bitter jealousy or selfish ambition is taking over my heart. My heart is deceitful above all things (Jer 17:9), so I need help to see my sin. In Hebrews 12:15 we are instructed to “See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled.” When I feel threatened by someone else’s blessings, I am giving into folly. When I charge in and try to take control and fight like Peter, who cut off the ear of one of those arresting Jesus, I am failing to hear what Jesus’ purposes on this earth truly are. Jesus rebuked Peter, saying “Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given to me?” (John 18:11). Woe to me if I defile others with my bitterness and false zeal (selfish ambition). I am called to emulate Christ, who was led to slaughter with the meekness of a lamb. Jesus rested in the knowledge that this kingdom of earth was not his (“My kingdom is not of this world” John 18:36). He rested in the knowledge that he is the Son of God. He rested in his submission to His Father. When I am tempted to fight and quarrel with those who seem to threaten my perspective on life, I am wrong. I need to repent. God help me.
Sadly, bitter jealousy and selfish ambition is the air we breathe right now. It is everywhere, and it is coming from Christians we respect. Christians I respect…. Indeed, they even boast and become false to the truth. And when these Christians we respect do this, we are tempted to believe it is godly, spiritual and angelic, because it comes from those we revere. We mimic them instead of Christ. We don’t call it bitter jealousy or selfish ambition. We give it other names. We call it ‘defending truth and our rights’ even though we know that there are other ways to defend truth and our rights. We allow ourselves to be deceived by men and women who call themselves children of God, but are falling short of what God commands. I pray that God grants me discernment, and helps me to follow Christ more than any man or woman. I am weak. I need help.
The Wisdom from Above:
“But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.”
We are sheep. We are easily led astray. And when those we respect, or those who lead us travel paths of folly, we will most likely follow them. This is why we have the gift of God’s Word…so we have something reliable and authoritative to follow when those around us fall. If they do not live according to the Word of God, we must not follow them into idolatry or spiritual adultery. Rather we must courageously follow our One, True, Shepherd, Jesus Christ. Jesus became to us the wisdom from God (1 Cor 1:31). He is the one example of wisdom from above that we can emulate.
When I relate to others, and fail to be pure or peaceable or gentle or open to reason or full of mercy and good fruits, with impartiality and sincerity, I fail to be wise. This verse is particularly convicting to me. It makes me tremble. I really struggle with all of these attributes. Am I pure in my motives when I engage others? Or am I actually operating out of selfish ambition? Am I seeking peace when I engage those opposed to me, or am I trying to win? Am I communicating with gentleness? Am I considering their interests, or just my own, thereby becoming unreasonable? Am I full of mercy, hoping the best of others even when cynicism and hopelessness are tremendously tempting? Am I bearing good fruit, or does ugly fruit follow in my wake? Am I impartial, being quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to anger? It is easy to judge someone based on who they follow or who they vote for. Am I able to listen to that person without false preconceptions of what they truly believe? Am I sincere in my engagement with people, or do I have false intentions buried within me? These are difficult questions. I have failed in many of these things just this week. I have given into folly, and followed what is unholy. May God grant me grace and mercy for how I have fallen short. May God renew my mind and heart. May God cleanse me from what is wicked and wretched within me. May God give me wisdom, wisdom from above.
Wisdom and Peace:
Finally, another convicting realisation about wisdom is its relation to peace. Those who are wise will be peaceable….and a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. Ultimately, the wise Christian is a peacemaker. This is their modus operandi. Just as Christ brought peace to us, taking upon himself the wrath of God for our sins. We are meant to bring peace, not all manner of disorder and every vile practice. This disorder that is described in James is mostly the disorder of bitter jealousy, selfish ambition, or as we see in James 4:1, quarrels and fights, and passions at war within us. This also surprised me. The emphasis here is on anger and hatred, rather than what we typically hear about in Christian circles (ie., love of money, sexual immorality, etc). I needed this warning in light of our cultural moment: that when sinful and selfish anger begins to brew in my heart, I am departing from wisdom. Sinful and selfish anger have become ‘trendy’ in certain Christian circles. If I join in with that, I am departing from righteousness. I need to follow those whose good conduct is demonstrated by their works in the meekness of wisdom. This is a difficult moment in Christian culture. I need to be on guard, so that I am not joining in with folly. I am tempted. I needed the reminder that my heart needs to be peaceable towards others, even if many others around me refuse this kind of wisdom. In this polarised world, I need to be peaceable towards everyone, whether they are aligned with my beliefs or not. I need to see the humanity in everyone, and persistently seek to love well.
I know there is also the reality that while Jesus brings spiritual peace to those who put their faith in him, he also brings a sword (Matthew 10:34-39). I know that there is a tension between peace and division. But Matthew 10 helps us to understand that this division comes as a result of rejecting Christ and his Word. Jesus calls us to lay down all of our idols (even if that’s our own family), and choose to love Christ more. He asks us to lose our lives in order to find our lives. He calls us to take up our crosses and follow him. We are called to be willing to sacrifice everything for him. The beautiful promise is that we will find our lives in Him, and we will have peace with God.
Conclusion:
Who is wise and understanding among you? Have you witnessed the example of a meek wisdom? I am thankful for the Word of God that gives me a very clear example to follow in Christ. But I also praise God for some of the men and women God has put in my life who also display this kind of wisdom. It encourages my heart, and helps me to persevere in a counter-cultural meek wisdom. I am abundantly blessed with precious believers who earnestly seek after the Kingdom of God rather than the kingdom of this world. I pray that God will humble me and help me to be clothed in the meekness of wisdom.
May the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard your hearts and minds Christ Jesus. (Phil 4:7)
Comments
Post a Comment