Wisdom from James

Dan C. Bailey

There is no greater service than that of being a "servant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ" as James wrote in James 1:1. Our Savior, Jesus Christ came to earth to serve God. We read in Mark 10:44-45, "And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many."

In James 1:2-4 we read, "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." As children of God, let us look for joy in the midst of trials. Everyone who has ever been born, and who has lived any length of time, has had to face adversity and trials. It is the nature of this world. We live in a world that has been cursed because of sin, and yet God can grant us joy, peace, and comfort, during great afflictions. There is joy in gaining patience and perseverance as a result of our trials. In a similar vein, Paul said, "And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us" (Romans 5:3-5).

God tells us in James 1:5-8, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways." It is wise to pray to God for all of our needs, especially the wisdom to deal with adversity. Sometimes people pray to satisfy their lusts instead of their real legitimate needs. Let us never pray selfish or lustful prayers. "Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts" (James 4:3).

Christians are also instructed: "Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God" (James 1:19-20). Sometimes it's hard to be a good listener. But when it comes to hearing the Word of God, we should especially take heed to how we hear. Jesus said, "If any man have ears to hear, let him hear. And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given. For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath" (Mark 4:23-25). Christians need to be "slow to speak" or careful with their tongues. Read all of James, chapter three. God's children should also be "slow to wrath." We read in Proverbs 14:29: "He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly." And again in Proverbs 16:32 we read: "He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city."

God's children should lay aside all sin and they should receive God's Word with meekness. "Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls" (James 1:21). Those who love sin, love this world and those who love this world love sin. The apostle John tells us: "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever" (I John 2:15-17). If we fail to receive instruction from God's Word, we will end up following our own lustful ways. "But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me. So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lust: and they walked in their own counsels" (Psalm 81:11-12).

It is wise to be a doer of the Word of God. The religion of Christ is an active religion. We are not called by the gospel to be "bench warmers!" If we are not actively engaged in doing God's will, we are supporting the Devil, whether we realize it or not! James said: "22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: 24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. 26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain. 27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world" (James 1:22-27). Does this sound like God wants us to sit idly on the bench?

Christians are to have a living faith, in contrast to a dead faith. A living faith is a faith that is active or working. A dead faithis a faith without "works" or without "doing anything!" James said, "14 What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, 16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? 17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone" (James 2:14-17). James also said: "But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?" (James 2:20).

There are just a few of the lessons on wisdom we can learn from the book of James. May we ponder each one and apply these truths to our lives. Let us increase our knowledge by studying God's Word every day. "A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels" (Proverbs 1:5). "For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding" (Proverbs 2:6).