The Wisdom Paradox

James 3:13-18

           Who is wise and understanding among you?  Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in 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 God 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.  

1 Corinthihans 1:17- 2:10

          For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel--not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

          For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to those of us who are being saved it is the power of God.  For it is written: I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.  (Isaiah 29:14)  Where is the wise man?  Where is the scholar?  Where is the philosopher of this age?  Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?  For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. . .  God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise;  God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things--and the things that are not-- to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.  It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us the wisdom from God-- that is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption.  Therefore, as it is written: Let him who boasts boast in the Lord. (Jeremiah 9:24). . .My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power.

          We do, however, speak a message of wisdom amoung the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.  No, we speak of God's secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. . . No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him (Isaiah 64:4) but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.  

Wisdom Paradoxes

....tested, tried, and true in the lab of my life....

1) Matthew 16:25. Jesus said, "Whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it." and Matthew 10:39, "Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it."  Losing my life on this earth means that I take the focus off of myself and onto God and other people. The greatest commandments, under which all other commandments fall, are "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength," and "Love your neighbor as yourself."  When I am concerned about my own life (if I am loved, if I am taken care of, if I am provided for) and do not entrust my life to the Lord, I start seeking love, protection, and provision from other sources-- idols-- whether it be friends, family, work, rest, television, or other activities that can't do any of those things for me.  When I lose my life though; when I focus on how I can bless others and encourage others (even though human wisdom tells me that this will be draining, exhausting, and emptying), strangely I am filled with peace, joy, and purpose.

2)  1 John 4:19. "We love because he first loved us."  When I act in love toward other people, even (and especially) in moments when I don't necessarily feel loved,  I am acting in faith that God does indeed love me, despite how I feel. Because when I choose to love, I'm essentially saying: I trust that God will preserve my life in his gracious love, even though I feel like I have nothing to give. My faith is strengthened when I act in faith: "Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.  Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.  Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." 1 John 4:7-8  When I love others, even if my mind is doubting God's love for me, the act itself is validation that God loves me, because if I have any love to give, it comes from God.  "No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us."  

3)  1 John 4:12  "Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.  This then is how we know we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us.  For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything."  My heart has surely condemned me greatly.  I am self-centered, selfish, anxious, and stubborn.  I feel this way (very un-Christlike), and my pity-partying self doesn't care to change.  And yet... I have a choice.  I can choose to act on these feelings or act in love despite my feelings. By the grace, mercy, and deliverence of God, when I cry out to him in repentance, he changes my heart from the inside out.  Even when I'm not 'feelin' the love,' he empowers me to love by his Spirit.  And walking it out demonstrates that I belong to the truth, and my heart is set at rest in his presence.  

4) James 2:14-24. "What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds?  Can such a faith save him?  ... faith by itself, if not accompanied by action, is dead. . . Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?  You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.  And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," (Genesis 15:6)  and he was called God's friend.  You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone."  Walk it out! Walk it out!  (I love the beat and the dance to that secular song...somebody should rewrite the worldly verses to be faith-infused but keep the chorus: Westside walk it out! Southside walk it out! Eastside walk it out! Northside walk it out! Now walk it out!)

5)  James 1:2-6. "Consider it pure joy, my brother, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverence.  Perseverence must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.  If any of  you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.  But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind."  Thank you, Lord, for turning pain into beauty in my life.  You allow these trials so I might cling to you and rejoice in you and see you more clearly.  You humble me and help me to see how marvelously glorious you are.