wise

Wise Guy, ey?

/ Mark Brady / Leave a comment
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Do you want to be counted wise, to build a reputation for wisdom? Here’s what you do: Live well, live wisely, live humbly. It’s the way you live, not the way you talk, that counts. James 3:13 (MSG)

The other day, I was having a conversation with a lady as we walked out of Walmart. I don’t recall the string of our conversation, but I do remember her saying, “Look at me. I have grey hair. I’m old. I have lived a lot of life. I know things and want to share my wisdom, what I have learned.”

I looked, and sure enough, she had grey hair. As we talked, I realized she walks with God. She had indeed learned to trust him. I understood her desire to share what she had learned while walking with God. Her willingness to be an open book and share honestly from her life.

I, too, share that desire. To convey the wisdom I have learned from God. That is partly why I post these blogs. I look for opportunities to dispel this knowledge. Not to show off, but to help the person I am talking to. If they can learn without having to pay the price of that knowledge, like I probably did, then they are better off.

My “life verse” is Psalms 69:5b “My life’s a wide-open book before you.” This is to God, but I take it a step further and share openly from life.

As you continue reading from James 3, you will learn more about what a wise person looks like:

Mean-spirited ambition isn’t wisdom. Boasting that you are wise isn’t wisdom. Twisting the truth to make yourselves sound wise isn’t wisdom. It’s the furthest thing from wisdom—it’s animal cunning, devilish plotting. Whenever you’re trying to look better than others or get the better of others, things fall apart and everyone ends up at the others’ throats.

17-18 Real wisdom, God’s wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced. You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor. James 3:14-18 (MSG)

Copyright © 2025 Mark Brady. All rights reserved.

The Wise Thing to Do

/ Mark Brady / Leave a comment

Charlie 49“That’s just great!  What am I going to do now?  How am I going to get out of this?”  Have you said something along this line in recent days?  It seems like I have, a lot, or on several occasions.  Some, when faced with problems or challenges don’t sleep much, while others, might get worried sick.

I generally have no problems sleeping, ever, but I am guilty of focusing too much on answering the question, “How am I going to take care of this?”  Did you catch my mistake, or see where I went wrong?  My thinking and attitude is totally off balance.  “How am I going to do this?”  Sure, it’s always easier to see what someone else is doing wrong.  Here is what I should have done:  gone to God and asked for wisdom.

“But if anyone is deficient in wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without reprimand, and it will be given to him.”  James 1:5 New English Translation (NET Bible)

I picked this translation because the word, “deficient” is a better translation of the Greek word instead of “lack”.  And, to be honest, I can identify with being deficient, bankrupt, empty, void of understanding of the problem, which almost paralysis me.  According to Rick Renner,

“Wisdom gives you special insight that helps you know what to do.”

Also, the word, “ask” is more of “reverently expecting an answer”.

So go back to sleep, or go back to living life.  Admit you don’t know, ask God for wisdom, and be confident your answer is on its way, because God gives wisdom generously.  That’s the wise thing to do!

Copyright © 2019 Mark Brady.  All rights reserved.