James Part 7: True Wisdom

James Part 7: True Wisdom

Before you read/watch…

• How would you define the term “wisdom?”
• What are some of the characteristics of a wise person?

Read James 3:13-18

Watch “James 3:13-18” by Francis Chan on Rightnow Media.

Francis notes that “the Bible says the person who truly has wisdom is going to have a meekness about him/herself.”

• What is “meekness?”
• Was this one of the characteristics of a wise person that you listed earlier? Why/why not?

Compare James 3:17 with Galatians 5:22-23. What do you notice?

It sometimes seems like in our Western culture we have defined wisdom as purely a trait of the mind. A wise person is someone who thinks well. And of course, this is true. Yet James challenges this by connecting wisdom with a list of virtues very similar to the fruits of the spirit, which we might associate with the heart and the actions. Wisdom is much more holistic than we think.

• Pick one of the virtues out of the list in James 3:17. Why would James say that this thing shows that a person is wise? (e.g. Why would being submissive make someone wise?)
• Which of the virtues in 3:17 do you want to develop in your own life?
• How have you given God permission to grow your wisdom?
• What other things have you pursued instead of wisdom?

Conclude in prayer. That we would let God deepen our wisdom and cultivate the virtues of a wise person in us. Take time to say sorry for when you have chased after something other than God’s wisdom.