James 3:17, 18 
“But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.” (NLT)

“Real wisdom, God’s wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced. You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor.” (The Message)

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Hey, look, another list! Here are some character qualities of maturing followers of Jesus. This is what they increasingly look like. They have pure wisdom. How do we understand what this means? Take a moment to consider how it may differ from what is often called Worldly Wisdom.

God’s wisdom, which he freely and abundantly gives to all who ask (See James 1:5), is so much more than hard-earned understanding of how things work. It is pure, peace loving, gentle, and willing to yield to others. Peace loving seems in short supply these days, doesn’t it? Political personnel are certainly devoid of it. This is true even for those who claim to belong to Jesus. Friends, this should not be.

Gentle is a word we associate with lambs, not leaders. And yet, books about the very best leaders often point out how they are gentle and humble. They don’t exalt themselves. Instead, they lift others. Kindness is their default position. 

God’s kind of wise people are willing to yield. They do not insist on having everything their way. Sometimes, they understand, they need to lose an argument or defer to the wisdom of others. Here’s a good question to ask yourself: When’s the last time you took a step back when you really wanted to force your way to the front?

God’s wisdom is merciful. God’s wisdom is full of good deeds. God’s wisdom doesn’t play favorites. God’s wisdom is always sincere. These peace-making wise guys “plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness.” 

Wisdom has many sides. It looks different in different contexts. It creates confidence in those who regularly see it up close. Wisdom wins the day. 

Never settle for street wisdom when a better alternative is available. And, as noted in James 1:5, it’s always available, and all we have to do to gain it is ask.

Now there’s a prayer to pray.

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I will ask God for wisdom today, and every day.

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Our Father, please give me your wisdom for the questions I am wrestling with. Please give me your wisdom for the decisions before me. Please give me wisdom for the conversations and tasks of the day ahead. Please give me wisdom that demonstrates the character qualities of heaven. Amen.