Godly Wisdom

Beloved,

As I type out this message to you, the sun has not risen and I can hear the rain drops on the roof of the house. I dare not complain. We need the rain and God is giving us what we need. So, I thank God for the rain that He has sent.

Is it not wise to be thankful for all that God has done, is doing, and will do in our lives? And, if we are to help others to grow in Christ, is it not wise to encourage them to do the same?

The world's wisdom tends to shine light on individuals and individual achievement. God's wisdom always points, in some way, back to Him because we know that He is the source of true wisdom.

Do you have Godly wisdom? Do you pursue Godly wisdom? Can you recognize Godly wisdom?

James, the half-brother of Jesus, wrote of Godly wisdom in James 3:13, 17, "Who is wise and understanding among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom...the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hyprocrisy."

When we see people acting in a way that seems to put others first and above themselves, perhaps it is because they are revealing the wisdom of God that is flowing through them.

Do others see that in you?

Can others seek out counsel from you and know that you have no hidden agendas?

Are you tough on issues but gentle, kind, and patient with people or do you just give tough love without recognizing that love that hurts may not be tough love, it may just be mean-spirited and absent of the Holy Spirit of God?

Do you have to get your way or will you relinquish or yield to preserve a relationship so that you can help another to gradually see what God is showing you?

Will you forgive quickly rather than bearing the burden of animosity and divisiveness so that you can demonstrate the mercy God has given you?

Will you try to treat everybody, not just those who you love and like or who love and like you, the same because no one is beyond salvation, redemption and reconciliation?

Beloved, depending on how you answer these questions, you may see if you are growing in Godly wisdom or just doing what you think is best.

I know. I know. It sounds hard; BUT, this is the journey for us as Christians.

Jesus went to the cross for us, to die for OUR sins, not His. Jesus did not simply dole out the wages of sin which is death. He offered us the gift of God, eternal life. Jesus allowed others to learn at their own pace when God in the flesh stood right before them. Jesus forgave from the cross those who had hung Him there. Jesus crossed lines of race, gender, and class to show that salvation was free and available to all.

As Christians, in some way, we should be doing the same.

It is God's way and it is wise.

It also requires something of us, patience. God is not through with any of us yet and we need to be patient with each other. That is also a part of God's wisdom. God is patient with us because He can see an intended end that we are only envisioning bit by bit.

Beloved, today is HOPE Wednesday and our topic, in our journey through the fruit of the Spirit, is PATIENCE. I have more than what I had and I know that I need more than what I have. If you are like me, come and journey with us tonight. We had a week off. I believed that to be wise. Now, we are back for another evening after resting from our trip to Georgia. Do not take the week off as the opportunity to develop a new habit of simply staying away. That is not wise.

So, you come this evening, with no excuse, and, as always, I encourage you to bring someone with you.

And, remember, God loves you and I love you too!

Be blessed,

Rev. Cain