A contrast between Godly and worldly wisdom and why we must pursue Godly wisdom in our lives.

James 3:17-18 NLT 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.

In the past few months, if there is anything that has overtaken my heart, it has to be God's wisdom. As we know from scripture, Christ founded the world by wisdom (proverbs 3:19) and He sustains it by the word of His power.

Biblical wisdom as seen in James 1:5 Refers to the knowledge of God’s plans and purposes and the ability to live accordingly. Wise people can identify the nature and purpose of their trials and understand how to overcome them. (From the logos bible).

At its core the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, that is to regard Him as who He really is, the source of life and the giver of all good things. To be guided by God's wisdom is to be led by God's Spirit as you navigate through life. God's desire is that we seek wisdom as though we were seeking precious minerals because that is how we will overcome in life. When God desires for us to live by his wisdom, he essentially wants to save us from all the toiling, trying to seek happiness, freedom, love, and riches from illicit places, places that will lead to us living a tormenting life, a life that lacks true freedom and purpose.

The world on its own is full of how-to's, how to be happy, how to be rich, how to be free etc. which are not entirely bad but none of them actually help you find lasting joy and peace. God himself is the source from which all pleasures flow. (Psalm 16:11)

Let's look at the contrast between Godly vs worldly wisdom

Godly wisdom seeks the best interest of others, it looks at how a decision will impact both yourself and others. (1 Corinthians 10:24). The world on the other hand says your own happiness is all that matters, "if this makes me happy that's all that matters" this is rooted in the self, self-pleasing, self-indulgence, which is idolatry.

Godly wisdom regards God as the source of all truth, it relies on the truth that comes from the word of God. Worldly wisdom relies on opinions and feelings to guide decision-making. Feelings are fickle as they are here today and gone tomorrow.

Godly wisdom says we must be led and controlled by the Spirit and not by our sinful nature which leads to death( Romans 8) because the Spirit only gives life and human effort accomplishes nothing. Our understanding is limited and short-sighted, we are unaware of what will happen tomorrow, but God knows the end from the beginning.

The world's wisdom trusts not in God as a source of life, knowledge, or understanding. One puts their trust in their own abilities achievements or heart. The world's wisdom says to follow your heart when making decisions, plans, and steps, This would be dangerous for us as children of God because God in His word says the heart is deceitful above anything else, relying on your heart to determine the trajectory of your life will end you in ruin. Why is the heart deceitful? because it has been corrupted with sin, the fallen nature, so anything that flows from it cannot be trusted, the bible says For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander(Matthew 15:19), hence clouding the way we one would make good decisions.

By renewing our minds through the word of God we are able to know what is it that is the good and perfect will of God, knowing this means we are able to make decisions that will impact not only ourselves but generations and generations to come.

We must be rooted in Gods wisdom in all spheres of life, and we don't have to worry about how we can live by God's commands because when we choose to rely on God's understanding, in itself it carries the power to enable us to conform to what it requires when God releases a word, it comes with the power to accomplish itself. God delights to grant us understanding. The Lord is pleased when we seek His wisdom above the world's and our own because it shows a heart of humility, that we cannot do anything apart from Him.

Let's continue to ask God to grant us a spirit of wisdom, and he promises that He generously gives to all without reproach, only if we do not doubt His ability to help us(James)

My prayer for us is to grow in wisdom, grow in spiritual truths, that we may have an eternal mindset so that we may better impact the world around us bringing God's kingdom on earth by how we live, speak, and the decisions we make.