"Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom."
As we studied previously in chapter 1, James admonishes his brotherhood of believers that if anyone lacks wisdom they should ask God for it, and He will grant that request without reproach. But that request must be asked in faith to avoid doubt that undermines who we believe God to be. With that in mind, James expands upon the intellectual aspect of wisdom by focusing on behavior. For if our works do not testify on our behalf to the glory of God, do they rather condemn us? It is a convicting question to wrestle with because James is assuming: 1. We have asked for wisdom, 2. God has granted it, and 3. Now we are held accountable to apply it.
To begin, we must address two questions in our hearts. 1. Do we recognize wisdom and understanding when we see it modeled in others? 2. Do others see wisdom and understanding modeled in us? Considering Jesus' teaching that a man should take the log out of his own eye before taking the speck out of his brother's eye (Matthew 7:3-5), it would behoove us to examine our own hearts first and foremost. Keep in mind, James is continuing the same thought pattern we have previously studied that works testify to faith. Therefore, we cannot assume that faith alone is anymore sufficient than intellectual wisdom and understanding. There must be an element of application that proves faith, and consequently the same logic applies to wisdom.
Another penetrating question pertains to our self-perception. When a difficult situation arises, do we tend to lean more on our own understanding, the understanding of others, or the wisdom of God. Of course, it is easy to justify all those options depending on the situation, but in general we must guard our hearts from being self-reliant and trusting in ourselves rather than God. The other danger is being so indecisive that we lean too heavily on the "advice" of others rather than the wisdom of God. Many times we seek advice from people who are not qualified to provide wisdom, or steer us in the direction of logic and relative truth rather than Scripture. In either case, we are substituting the wisdom of God with the wisdom of man and shifting our dependency on God to selfish independence. We are pridefully declaring (often without realizing it) that logic trumps wisdom, and subsequently drowning out the voice of the Holy Spirit that seeks our best interest at all times.
Moreover, James admonishes that works should testify to meekness of wisdom, but what does that mean? Meekness is simply a posture of quiet strength, mildness and soft-temperament, grounded in humility and submission to God's divine will. It is a derived from the same Greek word used for gentleness in the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:23) and is elevated as an esteemed virtue by Jesus in his sermon on the mount (Matthew 5:5). Therefore, if our conduct does not exemplify meekness, then our wisdom is brought into question. For it is not just about what works we do, but the manner in which we do those works that endorses our faith and provides wisdom and understanding through the Holy Spirit.
Finally, I find it profound that James did not ask the question, "Who is knowledgeable?" Perhaps, it is because knowledge is limited to our observation and experience. If we rest solely on knowledge, we assume we know more than we actually do and our ability to discern is severely limited. What James elevates as spiritual maturity is our ability to comprehend the vast array of knowledge we have gained (understanding) and thus discern or judge what is the best course of action that is most just, proper and conducive to prosperity or happiness (wisdom). Because God is not concerned one iota about how much we know. His desire is for our knowledge to produce understanding and a humble desire to apply understanding in seeking wisdom that He provides freely through His Word. For He is the sovereign fountain of wisdom, and we are wise to acknowledge Him as such.
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