Wednesday, January 19, 2022
“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.” (James 3:17, New Living Translation)
Holy Smoke, they are talking
about me, of all people. There are a lot of things I may be, but “wise” is no
where near the top of the list. I can be a wise-guy, a smart-ass and a
wise-acre. I can be too clever by far. I can be smart-mouthed. But none of
those things have anything to do with real wisdom as described in James. Indeed,
I would say of myself, to quote Linus from the Peanuts’ comic strip, “I am
never so stupid as when I am being smart.” Perhaps, there is a little wisdom,
after all, in that meagre assessment.
Nevertheless, some folk familiar
with my Area Ministry days within the Baptist Convention have recommended me for some
church consultancy work and spoke of my wisdom. I repeat, Holy Smoke! Perhaps
they were thinking of one of the other Area Ministers.
I have been blessed by wise
mentors throughout my life. Elmer and Peggy Anderson, Bruce and Barbara Neal (need
to get a plug in for the in-laws), Stuart Frayne, Basil Adams, Murray Ford, Jim
McGee. I am no way near that level of caring counsel and depth of insight. Am I
really at the stage of maturity and age when people see me as some sort of wise
advisor or mentor? When did that happen?
I am not sure I am ready for
such responsibility. That’s a lot of pressure. That’s a wide gateway to pride
and arrogance. This wisdom is going to take
patience, listening, understanding, knowing when to keep quiet, then finding
the right words at the right time, being supportive even when corrective, trusting
the process, prayer, and big shoulders. These are not my usual strengths.
Holy Smoke!
“I, Wisdom, live together
with good judgment. I know where to discover knowledge and discernment. All who
fear the Lord will hate evil. Therefore, I hate pride and arrogance, corruption
and perverse speech. Common sense and success belong to me. Insight and
strength are mine.” (Proverbs 8: 12 – 14, NLT)
Paul keeps my feet on the ground
as he wisely keeps human wisdom in perspective. “God has made the wisdom of
this world look foolish.” (1 Corinthians 1:20, NLT) He wants to make sure
that as followers of Jesus we shape our wisdom from the wisdom of God found in
Jesus. “Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.” (1
Corinthians 1:24, N LT)
This divinely gifted wisdom is the source of our understanding and
knowledge within the world in which we live. “When we tell you these things,
we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given
to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths.”
(1 Corinthians 2: 12, NLT)
We need to request this new wisdom from God for ourselves and others. “We
ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual
wisdom and understanding.” (Colossians 1:9, NLT)
The Jesus style of wisdom is fuelled
by love, grace, compassion, understanding and the ability to speak of the good and to do
good. It is marked by humility, self-honesty, integrity, a sense of humour, a
willingness to learn always, and even vulnerability to accept that one is not
always right.
With fear and trepidation, I
have accepted the consultancy gig. I am a little rusty. I pray that I don’t disappoint.
Help me, Jesus!
“Let the message about
Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with
all the wisdom he gives.” (Colossians 3:16, NLT)
I’ll do my best.
Dale
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