More on Wisdom
James 1:5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
From the 1828 Webster’s dictionary:
1. The right use or exercise of knowledge; the choice of laudable ends, and of the best means to accomplish them. This is wisdom in act, effect, or practice. If wisdom is to be considered as a faculty of the mind, it is the faculty of discerning or judging what is most just, proper and useful, and if it is to be considered as an acquirement, it is the knowledge and use of what is best, most just, most proper, most conducive to prosperity or happiness. wisdom in the first sense, or practical wisdom is nearly synonymous with discretion.
From the current Webster’s internet dictionary:
1a: ability to discern inner qualities and relationships : INSIGHT
b: good sense : JUDGMENT
c: generally accepted belief
challenges what has become accepted wisdom among many historians
—Robert Darnton
d: accumulated philosophical or scientific learning : KNOWLEDGE
2: a wise attitude, belief, or course of action
Comparing these two definitions illustrates how we can drift without an anchor. Later, in James 3, we’ll see a further honing of the definition of “wisdom from above.”
Father, Your wisdom is above all others. Imbue Your wisdom in our hearts so that we won’t be driven and tossed by the wind. Your wisdom gives us peace in the storm according to the faith we have in You.