Tag Archives: James 3:13-18

Who Is Wise?

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Discipleship Devotional Study Guide - Promises - Day 142 - James 3:13-18 - Who Is Wise - Growing As Disciples

Discipleship Devotional Study Guide – Promises – Day 142 – James 3:13-18 – Who Is Wise – Growing As Disciples

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.  But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.  Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil.  For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.  But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.  Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.  James 3:13-18 (NIV)  

Wisdom From Heaven

Do you know what wisdom from heaven looks like? I’m not sure. I can take a guess. Go ahead take a guess. First, I will say what wisdom from heaven does not look like. Wherever there is bitter envy or selfish ambition you can be sure that your wisdom will not be found. Bitter envy and selfish ambition bring disorder and every evil practice. Like what? Bitter envy and selfish ambition pit people against each. These desires create conflict and destruction. Nothing good will come out of bitter envy or selfish ambition. Lying and cheating and stealing come out of bitter envy and selfish ambition. Love and hope and peace and joy are destroyed by bitter envy and selfish ambition. You will not find kindness and mercy coexisting with bitter envy and selfish ambitions. These desires are the devil’s tools that he uses to steal and kill and destroy life That is true.

Your wisdom looks nothing like bitter envy and selfish ambition. What does my wisdom look like? Your wisdom is pure. Your wisdom is peace-loving.  Your wisdom is considerate and submissive, full of mercy and good fruit. Your wisdom is impartial and sincere. These don’t sound like guesses on your part. No, I am not guessing. What I have learned and will learn about your wisdom comes from your word. You have been using your word to teach me your wisdom. That is true, my word will instruct you and teach you my wisdom. What do you want my wisdom to do in and through you? I want your wisdom to make me fruitful for you. I want your word to be make me wise in all that I think, say and do. I want to be able to live a life of humbly doing good deeds for your kingdom and glory. I want to be a peacemaker who sows peace so that I can reap a rich harvest for you. You have wise desires in you. I will make you wise as you allow my word to do its work in you. Thank you, Lord. 

Lord, I will guard against bitter envy and selfish ambition. I want to lead a good life that puts your wisdom on display by humbly doing good deeds for others. I also want to be a peacemaker who sows in peace and reaps a rich harvest for your kingdom and glory. Amen

Key Question… How are you asking the Lord to help you to live a life that is filled with His wisdom?

Living It Out… Ask the Lord to help you to put His wisdom on display by humbly doing good deeds for others.

Seeing It Happen…Have faith that the Lord will help you to humbly do good deeds that will display His wisdom working in and through you.

Get Ready To Share… Share with another person or your small group how the Lord is giving you wisdom to humbly do good deeds.

Prayer To Bless Others… May your life demonstrate wisdom by humbly doing good deeds.

For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide click here:

Promises – Day 142 – James 3-13-18 – Who Is Wise? – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

Please consider sharing these devotionals with others through the social media you use.

Individual users may save the Discipleship Devotional Study Guide to their desktop for private use. All the blanks in the study guides are fields that allow typed responses. To use the fields on the study guide you may need to open the guide with a free version of adobe reader.

By Jon Ulrich © All rights reserved                   Copying not permitted                      www.GrowingAsDisciples.com

Deeds Done In Humility

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The Virtuous Life - Day 221 - James 3-13-18 - Deeds Done In Humility - Growing As Disciples

The Virtuous Life – Day 221 – James 3-13-18 – Deeds Done In Humility – Growing As Disciples

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.  But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.  Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil.  For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.  But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.  Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness. James 3:13-18 (NIV)  

Demonstrating Wisdom

What does wisdom look like? How will you know if you are thinking and speaking and acting wisely? How will you gauge if you are truly wise? When can you be very sure that wisdom is lacking? What will be the result and end product of your life if you are living wisely? Those are all good questions. Go ahead and answer them. I will start by describing what wisdom is not. That is a good place to start. Wisdom does not harbor bitter envy. Wisdom is not fueled by selfish ambition. Wisdom is not boastful, nor will it deny what is true. Anything that looks or sounds or acts like this is not heavenly wisdom, it is worldly wisdom, that is unspiritual and comes from the devil. Out of this kind of evil springs disorder, discord, disunity, and a host of evil practices. I want none of this so-called wisdom in my life. That’s good.

You have said enough about what is not. Describe what heavenly wisdom looks like. Heavenly wisdom is demonstrated by actions. It is not a lot of talk. A wise person’s life demonstrates wisdom by humbly doing good deeds. They live a life for others. They love like you loved. They give like you gave. They serve like you served. Heavenly wisdom loves peace. It is considerate and submissive. Heavenly wisdom is filled with mercy. It is impartial and sincere. If I am truly wise, I will be known as a peacemaker. If I am truly wise, my life will bear an abundance of fruit for your kingdom. If I am truly wise, my life will bring glory to your name. Yes, you will. Do you want to live a life filled with heavenly wisdom? Yes, I do. That is the desire or my heart. That is how I will think and speak and act. That will be very good.

Lord, I know that I have often thought, or spoke, or acted unwisely. Forgive me. Help me to live a life of humbly doing good deeds for others. Develop in me all the character qualities that are part of being truly wise. For your glory, bear good fruit through my life. Amen

Key Question…  What character qualities are essential elements of living a life filled with wisdom?

Living It Out…  Demonstrate wisdom by humbly doing good deeds for others.

Seeing It Happen…  Have faith that the Lord will help you to demonstrate wisdom by humbly doing good deeds for others.

Get Ready To Share…  Share with another person or your small group how you are humbly doing good deeds for others.

Prayer To Bless Others…  May your life demonstrate wisdom by humbly doing good deeds for others.

For today’s complete 4 page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide click here:

The Virtuous Life – Day 221 – James 3-13-18 – Deeds Done In Humility – 4 Page Discipleship Devotional Study Guide

Please consider sharing these devotionals with others through the social media you use.

Individual users may save the Discipleship Devotional Study Guide to their desktop for private use. All the blanks in the study guides are fields that allow typed responses. To use the fields on the study guide you may need to open the guide with a free version of adobe reader.

By Jon Ulrich © All rights reserved                                Copying not permitted                                           www.GrowingAsDisciples.com