Who is wise and understanding among you?

We began the month of May with the wisdom of James 3:13, and those words are a good way for us to finish. In a world that values information, God often calls his children to opportunities where we can help others learn and value his wisdom.

As Christians, we should make an effort to earn the respect of others through our daily lives. When we choose to live as God directs, others will hopefully come to respect our words.

We want to be the “wise and understanding” Christians whom James encouraged his readers to seek out. James said we are to look for, and become ourselves, people with “good conduct” who serve others in “the meekness of wisdom.”

If we, as Christians, want to be viewed as James taught, as “wise and understanding,” there is an important fact to consider. Our high standards have been set for us by a holy God, not as a comparison with others.

If we judge our Christian “conduct” by the conduct of others, we may misjudge the quality of our character. If our standards are defined by living above the ways of non-Christians, we may feel that our lives are strong enough with God. If we judge ourselves by a comparison to the culture, when our cultural values decline, chances are our Christian values will decline as well. Cultural trends change; God’s word does not.

Scripture offers us our standards for this life. Jesus taught that we show our “good conduct” by works done in the “meekness of wisdom.” When we live meekly submitted to God’s word, our conduct will reflect our knowledge of his wisdom.

We have talked this month about yielding to God’s wisdom for our spiritual strength. On this last day of May, let’s honestly and meekly submit to God’s word. Look in a “spiritual” mirror and allow God to speak his favor and his discipline into your conduct.

Let’s allow God’s Holy Spirit to make adjustments to our conduct so that when someone like James asks, “Who is wise and understanding among you,” our names come to mind. That isn’t a goal for our egos but rather a goal for our humble service to God. People will not know the wisdom of God if we don’t live with the conduct that allows them to notice his presence in us.

Yielding to God’s wisdom is spiritual strength. Yielding our conduct to God will provide us the opportunities to offer others the knowledge and love of God.