Tag: Wisdom

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Letters of the Bible: James Writes to the Twelve Scattered Tribes

James, a servant[a] of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,

To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion:

Greetings.

Testing of Your Faith

Count it all joy, my brothers,[b] when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass[c] he will pass away. For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.[d] Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.

Hearing and Doing the Word

Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

The Sin of Partiality

My brothers,[e] show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called?

If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it. For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Faith Without Works Is Dead

What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food,and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good[f] is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder! Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.

Taming the Tongue

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things.

How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life,[g] and set on fire by hell.[h] For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers,[i] these things ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.

Wisdom from Above

Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

Warning Against Worldliness

What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions[j] are at war within you?[k] You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. You adulterous people![l] Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

Do not speak evil against one another, brothers.[m] The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?

Boasting About Tomorrow

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

Warning to the Rich

Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire.You have laid up treasure in the last days. Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you.

Patience in Suffering

Be patient, therefore, brothers,[n] until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.

But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.

The Prayer of Faith

Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another,that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.[n] Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.

My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

Biblegateway.com: James 1, James 2, James 3, James 4, James 5

Footnotes:

  1. James 1:1 Or slave (for the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface)
  2. James 1:2 Or brothers and sisters. The plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) refers to siblings in a family. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, adelphoi may refer either to men or to both men and women who are siblings (brothers and sisters) in God’s family, the church; also verses 16, 19
  3. James 1:10 Or a wild flower
  4. James 1:17 Some manuscripts variation due to a shadow of turning
  5. James 2:1 Or brothers and sisters; also verses 5, 14
  6. James 2:16 Or benefit
  7. James 3:6 Or wheel of birth
  8. James 3:6 Greek Gehenna
  9. James 3:10 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 12
  10. James 4:1 Greek pleasures; also verse 3
  11. James 4:1 Greek in your members
  12. James 4:4 Greek You adulteresses!
  13. James 4:11 Or brothers and sisters
  14. James 5:7 Or brothers and sisters; also verses 9, 10, 12, 19
  15. James 5:16 Or The effective prayer of a righteous person has great power

English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.

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The older I get, the less I worry about relationships.

Photo: "Monarch" by Lisa Richelle Fine Photography (2014).
Photo: “Monarch” by Lisa Richelle Fine Photography (2014).

The older I get, the less I worry about relationships. Not because relationships matter less to me as I age, but because I’ve come to realize the relationships that matter most are the relationships in which the other party also values a relationship with me. People who want to be in relationship with you, make sure there is no cause to worry about the relationship. As I’ve come to this realization, I’ve also noticed that I don’t have to weed people out of my life. People remove themselves simply by their lack of care and attention to the relationship. They fade away.

The relationships that matter most to me now are those where my appreciation is reciprocated. Where my admiration, care, concern, and respect are shared. Where there’s a mutual desire to pursue, maintain and grow in relationship with one another. This includes relationships in every area of my life: personal, family, friend, social, work, etc.

Looking back on my life, I see a long trail of one-sided relationships that I was truly dedicated to. But I was also uncertain, agonized, tormented, dissatisfied, and insecure in some way. When I chose to step away from the people who only wanted to take what I had to offer without sharing any of themselves with me, I was able to let go of the negative feelings they instilled in me. I am over being the only vested person in one-sided relationships. I’m done making myself available for people who don’t want to be available for me. I’m no longer seeking out people who persist on hiding and playing in the dark.

By God’s Grace and Light, I am being rebuilt in strength, fullness and beauty. I’m a Child of the Light and I intend to live like it.

As I have matured, I have become more confident with all I have to offer as a human being, as a woman, as a friend, as a worker – and God willing, as a wife, lover and mother. I have grown confident in the fact that I am not missing out on anything at this point in my life. All who are meant to share this time and space with me are doing so. I am blessed and highly favored and I know the blessings and favor upon my life flow from me to those connected to my life. There’s no need for me to chase anybody or anything. God is my supplier. His Light in me attracts what is meant for me and repels that which is not.

I thank God for the harsh scrubs that cleanses another layer of the world from me with each washing.

You want me to be completely truthful,
    so teach me wisdom.
Take away my sin, and I will be clean.
    Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
Make me hear sounds of joy and gladness;
    let the bones you crushed be happy again.
Turn your face from my sins
    and wipe out all my guilt.

Create in me a pure heart, God,
    and make my spirit right again.
Do not send me away from you
    or take your Holy Spirit away from me.
Give me back the joy of your salvation.
    Keep me strong by giving me a willing spirit.
Then I will teach your ways to those who do wrong,
    and sinners will turn back to you.  ~ Psalms 51:6-13, NCV

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A Foolish Woman vs. A Wise Woman

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. For through wisdom your days will be many, and years will be added to your life. If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you; if you are a mocker, you alone will suffer. ~ Proverbs 9:10-12 NIV

Foolish Woman

foolish: lacking or exhibiting a lack of good sense or judgment; silly; resulting from stupidity or misinformation; unwise

A foolish woman is a destroyer – she tears her home down with her own hands.

Her destruction reaches forward from her heart to the generations of her children’s children. She contaminates every good thing in her environment and under her control. She is lazy and self-pleasing. She is insincere and manipulates through a show of care and concern. She advertises pleasure and provides entertainment, both of which are momentary. In her presence is the illusion of life, but her ways lead to death for herself and those under her influence. The foolish woman doesn’t give respect, for she has no experiential knowledge of God. She trusts only herself and her means. She operates in the flesh only, neglecting and starving the spirits and souls entrusted to her care. Her husband is ashamed and disgraced, though he may not be aware. He is hungry for her support, but receives her abuse instead. She shares only her disregard, disrespect and her haughty, dismissive attitude with him. He asks for guidance and she leads him astray. He seeks comfort and she turns her back on him. He longs for companionship, but she’s busy enjoying others. Her treatment of her husband and children, prepares them for spiritual death.     

What good is a foolish woman?

She brings no spiritual good to her household. She is a drain to her husband’s soul and brings rot to his bones. Her wickedness derives from her lack of true knowledge of God and lack of respect for His divine order.

The woman named Folly is brash. She is ignorant and doesn’t know it. She sits in her doorway on the heights overlooking the city. She calls out to men going by who are minding their own business. “Come in with me,” she urges the simple. To those who lack good judgment, she says, “Stolen water is refreshing; food eaten in secret tastes the best!” But little do they know that the dead are there. Her guests are in the depths of the grave. ~ Proverbs 9:13-18 NLT

Wise Woman

wise: having the power of discerning and judging properly as to what is true or right; possessing discernment, judgment, or discretion; having knowledge or information as to facts, circumstances

A wise woman is a builder – she builds her home and she builds up her family.

She is a crown of glory to her husband’s head and he knows well the honor she brings him. A child of God, she seeks counsel first from her Heavenly Father through their shared Holy Spirit. Her discernment and good judgment is a blessing to her husband and children as she exerts her influence with knowledge, patience, love, respect and concern. She is trust-worthy and reliable; hard-working and well-respected. She points her husband towards God always, even as she stands and walks beside him; guiding him even as she is lead by him. A wise woman is aware of the power and influence she has, but she does not abuse it. Her strength is exhibited in her gentleness. Her love is expressed in her discipline. Her patience is seen in her teaching. She communicates her hopes and gives the best of herself always (even when quality of her best varies). She is a meticulous steward of her family’s possessions. She is generous with her family’s harvest. A wise woman cultivates every seed her husband plants in her. She answers his needs with an open heart, eager to be all she is called to be as his wife. She nurtures her husband and everyone in her household. Her hospitality is abundant and gracious. Her husband is at peace in her presence as are others. Her treatment of those entrusted to her glorifies God and lead them to the light of everlasting life.

What good is a wise woman?

Her value is beyond measure. Her contributions have no scale. Though she improves the physical lives of those in her household and community, she is a greater blessing to their spiritual lives. She deposits the Love of God, the Hope of Christ, the Faith of her husband and her own spirit into everyone who crosses her path. Her husband, children and the Kingdom of Heaven are the primary ground and the primary beneficiaries of her wisdom. A wise woman raises a child but nurtures a community. She provides for her home, but feeds a nation. She may have a modest planting ground, but she will have an abundant spiritual harvest.

Wisdom has built her house; she has carved its seven columns. She has prepared a great banquet, mixed the wines, and set the table. She has sent her servants to invite everyone to come. She calls out from the heights overlooking the city. “Come in with me,” she urges the simple. To those who lack good judgment, she says, “Come, eat my food, and drink the wine I have mixed. Leave your simple ways behind, and begin to live; learn to use good judgment.” ~ Proverbs 9:1-6 NLT

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Healed to the best of your understanding.

“Let your heart retain my words; keep my commands, and live. Get wisdom! Get understanding! Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth. Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you; Love her, and she will keep you. Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.”  ~ Proverbs 4:4-7 KJV

The last few months have been emotionally difficult for me – for a number of reasons. As with all low points for God’s elect, Satan struggled for a toe-hold in his effort to keep me down. I thank God for His strength and discernment, for His guidance and teachings and most especially for the great measure of faith He has graced me with. Even with Satan circling me, trying to block my Light source, I was never in total darkness and was well able to see my way clear of his schemes. But the tests were needed. And they are greatly appreciated! I’ve emerged with a perspective and insight greater than ever before. My mirror is a little less foggy. My purpose is a bit clearer. And I realize the well of my hope is deeper than I knew. Indeed, hope does spring eternal!

Understanding self

In the last few months I’ve changed church homes (the separation from my first church was more difficult than I expected) and my dad died (I was less affected than I would have imagined). In both instances, I’ve been able to see the changes the Life of Christ and the Love of God has wrought on me, in my thoughts, my heart and my life. I understand more than ever that my relationship with God is the only thing in life that truly matters. And it is only through this primary relationship that all I can possibly desire will be added to me. That knowledge is humbling, yet so very empowering!

My friendships have pretty much gone up in smoke over the last few years. One by one, the women I used to call to talk through my problems and minor issues with have been removed from my life. Having no one to talk to over the last year – “talk to” as in, digging down to the minutest detail, exposing, exploring and pulling up roots – has been the most difficult part of my loneliness. I’m used to not having a life partner; not so used to not having a friend. The absence of those supportive friendships highlighted a deeper desire in me for a supportive mate.

For a number of years, I was emotionally “stuck” on the” ideal” person for me. In my imagination, he was a perfect match. He has a visible walk with the Lord and great conversation. We are both creative, independent, entrepreneurial, adventurous, and we both have a heart for people. The one glaring difference that I’ve finally been able to see is: I had a heart for him, but he didn’t have a heart for me.

When my dad died, I realized that I had been subconsciously waiting for him to want a relationship with me. With my hope turned on low, I still hoped he would one day reach out to me in response to all my pass efforts. He had the desire to rally his mother and siblings around his death bed, even his illegitimate son whom he didn’t raise, but he refused to send word to me, to request my presence, to offer reconciliation. That saddened me, but I realized he preferred to go to his grave before reconciling our relationship. Building a relationship was of no interest to him. And I’m okay with his preference. Understanding that about him put my interactions with men in a whole new light. My intolerance, my harshness. My hope, my repeated efforts. My exhaustion and frustration. My desire to build a relationship and lack of understanding of how to go about it. My ineffective communication and my inability to get what I want – a husband and family of my own.

I can see the parallels in the wished-for, but non-existent relationships.

Seeking and accepting help

The stress of it all overwhelmed me. Over the holidays I sought time with both a therapist and a spiritual counselor. The conversations that followed, has had me thinking from yet new perspectives.

I met with the therapist first and she suggested I hadn’t truly healed from the damage my dad did to me early in life. I told her that I had indeed healed. That through my friendships and my faith I had worked through all the main and related issues related to his abuse.

I walked out of her office asking God if I had missed something. If there was some remnant of fear or pain holding me back in life? I immediately followed that question with the pronouncement: I am healed in the name of Jesus! Absolutely! Completely!

The next day I met with the spiritual counselor and mentioned this portion of my conversation. I asked him if I had missed something. If I believe the Word and the Word says I am healed and I have worked on my recovery, am I not then completely healed?

He said something rather profound to me that has been rattling around my mind and spirit since: “You are completely healed to the best of your understanding.”

Pause and think about that….

Now we see things imperfectly as in a cloudy mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. ~ 1 Corinthians 13:12

My whole life is a dedication to the quest to understand. To learn. To acquire knowledge. To experience and share love and compassion. I know my understanding isn’t complete, nor will it ever be in this life. But I hadn’t looked at my evolution as being limited by my understanding.

So, I am healed to the best of my understanding.

I love and am loved to the best of my understanding.

I repent and accept repentance to the best of my understanding.

I forgive and am forgiven to the best of my understanding.

I give and receive to the best of my understanding.

I need and want to the best of my understanding.

I communicate to the best of my understanding.

I am faithful to the best of my understanding.

I live to the best of my understanding.

I evolve to the best of my understanding.

This tells me there are other levels, other dimensions and consciousness that need attention in each area of my life.

Embracing the next phase of life

My primary project for this year is finding and securing a life partner – to the best of my ability and understanding. I’m going about achieving this goal in the same way I operate in all other areas of my life (including problem-solving or project planning):

  1. Write down my needs and desires
  2. Calculate costs and requirements to achieve each (this includes things I’m willing to compromise on)
  3. Prioritize by either importance or ease of achievability
  4. Organize a team and pool resources
  5. Outline my needs and end-goal to my team
  6. Manage the project with follow-up and progress reports

Attempting to be any less analytical or pragmatic does me no good. That’s the way I think. It’s the way I process and understand. It’s the way I take action. With every goal I have had in life, God has worked through others to help me achieve them. It hit me last month that I wasn’t doing what I know to do in my desire to evolve from a single woman to a married woman. I was being far too passive. Passivity caused me to be inactive (for far too long) rather than proactive. I wasn’t working with others on my goal, so God wasn’t working through others to help me achieve it.

Now that I’ve visualized and verbalized my goal, achievement is only a matter of time. That’s the process through which God has always worked in my life. So I call it done, in the name of the Lord – to the best of my understanding and more reliably, to the best of God’s ability!

Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim His greatness. Let the whole world know what He has done. Sing to Him; yes, sing His praises. Tell everyone about His wonderful deeds. Exult in His holy name; rejoice, you who worship the Lord. Search for the Lord and for His strength; continually seek Him. Remember the wonders He has performed, His miracles, and the rulings He has given, you children of His servant Abraham, you descendants of Jacob, His chosen ones. He is the Lord our God. His justice is seen throughout the land. He always stands by His covenant — the commitment he made to a thousand generations.  ~ Psalm 105:1-8 NLT

Parting thought: Relationship is everything. Without it, even love does you no good.