Are You Wise?
I know a guy who prides himself on being shrewd. He makes wise financial decisions. He is respected at work. If I was looking for someone to oversee an investment portfolio, I’d call him. The trouble is, his relationships are a mess. People tend to avoid lengthy conversations with him. And sometimes I shake my head in dismay at the way he treats his family. He’s skilled at quick-witted come-backs and snide remarks. But I don’t know if he is close to anyone. He professes to be a Christian. I just wish he exhibited Christ-likeness in his relationships.He may be shrewd, but he is not wise. Jesus’ brother, James, wrote, “The wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere” (James 3:17 NIV11-GK).Real wisdom, seeing and doing life from God’s perspective, impacts our relationships more than anything. Yes, there is something to making wise life decisions. It’s good to stay out of debt and prepare for the future. It’s good to be orderly, hard-working, and thinking of long-term consequences with our choices. But if we are wise in everything material, but foolish in our relationships, who cares? As life progresses, and especially when we reach the end of our days, we will all know what mattered most, our relationships. I’ve never known a wise business person call for their portfolio to be brought to them to admire on their deathbed. It’s our relationships that will matter then. And it’s our relationships today that will be affected most by wise living.So if you are respected at work. If you feel pretty good about making good life decisions. Great! But are you known to be a peace-lover? Would others describe you as considerate? Do you live with a submissive attitude, showing mercy to those who offend you? Because no matter how smart you have been with your money, your career, your time, or your things, if these traits are not true of your relationships, you are not wise. Any fool can injure their relationships. It takes wisdom from heaven to make the most of them.“The fear of the LORD is the foundation of wisdom. (Proverbs 9:10 NLT).