Peace, the Fruit of Wisdom
But the wisdom that comes from Heaven is, first of all, pure and full of quiet gentleness, and those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of goodness. (James 3:17, 18 LB)
James 3:13-18, 1:5; Jer. 4:22; Prov. 3:17; John 14:27; ICor. 1:25, 3:19; Phil. 4:7
What Is God Saying?
James 3:13-18 gives us a striking contrast between true wisdom from above (or from God) and false wisdom that comes from and proceeds based on earthly goals and priorities. One is pure in spirit, unselfish in attitude, and loving in behavior. The other is restless in spirit, selfish in attitude, and jealous in behavior. The one produces a harvest of goodness; the other leads to every vile practice. The one is pure and full of quiet gentleness; the other leads to bitter jealousy and selfish ambitions and is false to the truth and devilish in motivation. These are strong words. They trace the sources and uncover the causes of peace and goodness. They set all this alongside the sources and causes of disorder and trouble. God's wisdom is based on love and expressed in peace. Earthly wisdom is based on bitter jealousy and is expressed by selfish ambitions. A good life, planting seeds of peace, will reap a harvest of goodness.
How Does This Apply To Us?
Wisdom is one of God's best gifts. The whole book of Proverbs gives instructions concerning wisdom. Its opening words are, ‘That men may know wisdom’ (1:2). ‘Her ways are ways of pleasantness,’ writes Solomon, ‘and all her paths are peace’ (Prov. 3:17). We should ‘know the peace that passes understanding’ because we know the Christ who gives it. Did He not say, ‘My peace I give to you’? Peace is what we have. Our Lord wanted us to have it. We have the peace of God's forgiveness, the joy of His presence, and the strength of His unfailing love. Therefore, we should want to share His peace, His joy, and the blessings of His love. For, in so doing, ‘planting seeds of peace, we will reap a harvest of goodness.’ St. Francis prayed: ‘Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace. It is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning, that we are pardoned; it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.’
That prayer from one who lived 800 years ago speaks to the greatest need of our time. Those of us who want to be instruments of His peace will share in the great harvest of His goodness as it yields His blessings of peace and Joy.
Pray With Me
Blessed are peacemakers, Lord, for they are busy doing things that bring about a harvest where everything is right. Some harvests bring sorrow and disappointment. ‘Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows that will he also reap.’ If we sow discord, we will reap strife. If we sow indifference, we will reap lovelessness. If we sow revenge, we will reap restlessness. If we sow a careless disregard for virtue, we will reap the shambles of a broken life.
Lord, I have received in my heart the peace of God. By Your grace, I have peace with God. Now, let me be busy with sowing peace wherever I go and whatever I do. Let me make peace if I am in a place with little or no peace. Let me scatter the seeds of peace in every situation. If I run out, I know there is an endless supply in the granary of God's peace. I am glad to know, Lord, according to Your promise, that if I sow in peace, You will take care of the harvest, which will be both bountiful and right. If I am an instrument of Your peace, a harvest will come that will be right for me and every one my life touches. If I make peace where there is little or no peace, peace will come back to me as a blessing beyond all I can ask or think.
Lord, I will sow in peace and believe that the harvest will come in Your time, in Your way, to Your glory, and my inexpressible joy.
Through Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, the Lord of Love, and the Fountain of all Joy. Amen.
Moving On In The Life of Prayer
In a sense, every true prayer is a prayer for peace. When we pray for a disordered world, a troubled family, or a tormented and perplexed person, we want peace, the fruit of wisdom. When we or someone we love is wrestling with a problem or needs to make a difficult decision, we want peace, the fruit of wisdom. We want peace, the fruit of wisdom, when troubled by doubts or burdened with remembered failures. So pray to be a maker of peace You will find pleasure m the harvest of goodness in your hfe. And you will enjoy watching 1t grow and glow in the lives of others. That's real prayer with actual results.
