Valuable Values
James 3: 13 – 18
Introduction
The Paradox of Our Time in History is that we spend more, but have less; we buy more, but enjoy it less.
We have bigger houses and smaller families; more conveniences, but less time; more medicine, but less wellness.
We read too little, watch TV too much and pray too seldom.
We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values.
These are times of tall men and short character; steep profits and shallow relationships.
These are the days of two incomes, but more divorce; of fancier houses but broken homes.
We’ve learned how to make a living, but not a life; we’ve added years to life, not life to years; we’ve cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul.[1]
This anonymous quotation emphasizes the way our culture has placed a high value on things that are not very valuable. We could also illustrate this through a story:
John R. O’Neil was a very successful manager at AT&T. He climbed his way to the top of the corporate ladder. Eventually, he reached a point in his career that his company provided him with a limo and driver. He was the envy of all his coworkers. He responded like any other person would respond…He offered his friends rides in the limo, hoping to impress them. Everyone was impressed, except one person. The limo driver didn’t seem impressed.
One day, he confronted the driver and asked if he had offended him in some way. The driver responded by saying, “All you seem to think about or do is work, and it doesn’t even look like you enjoy yourself. I guess you are nice enough, but frankly, from my point of view, your life is real boring.”[2]
Do you make the same kind of mistake in your life? Do you place value on things that really aren’t very valuable?
We see this in the ways we use the word “value.” We usually define “value” in economic terms. Something is “valuable” if it costs a lot of money. We talk about getting a “value” when we buy an item on sale or get more for our money. We “value” things by placing a price tag on them. However, there is another way to use the word “value.”
Our English word “value” comes to us from the Latin word valere, which means “strong or brave”—like our English word “valor.” In this sense, our “values” are the beliefs which are strongest in our lives. The intangible things which are not worth a lot of money, but they hold the strongest influence over our lives.
A biblical example of “value” can be found in the story of King Solomon in 1 Kings 3. Solomon followed in his father, David’s, footsteps. He trusted the LORD, sought the LORD’s will in every decision he made, and kept the nation of
Solomon could have asked for a healthy and long life. But health will not last forever. Life will not last forever. These attributes cannot stand the test of time.
Solomon could have asked for physical beauty—a strong physique and an attractive appearance. However, beauty will not last forever.
Solomon could have asked for great wealth—a million dollars, the biggest house in the neighborhood, a new car every year, or the most expensive wardrobe in town. Wealth might last as long as you live. But you can’t take it with you when you go. I have done a lot of funerals as a pastor, and I have seen almost everything at a funeral. But there is one thing I have never seen—I have never seen a hearse pulling a U-Haul trailer.
Health, beauty and wealth are probably the most valuable values to our culture. However, Solomon rejected these worldly values in favor of something else. He chose the most valuable value. He asked God to give him wisdom.
Wisdom in the Bible is different from what we normally call wisdom. We think wisdom is the same thing as being smart. Or, we think wisdom is the application of knowledge—taking everything we have learned through school and life experience and applying it in real life situations.
Biblical wisdom has a moral quality. People with wisdom avoid sin and resist temptations. People with wisdom have a deep understanding of God and God’s will for their lives. People with wisdom enjoy a growing relationship with God.
This is not an Old Testament theme only. The New Testament book of James has a lot to say about wisdom…godly wisdom. Wisdom is the most valuable value we could ever seek…
Read James 3: 13 – 18.
13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.
14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.
15 Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil.
16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
17 But 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.
18 Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.
(NIV)
There are many different ways we imagine a wise person. Some people imagine a wise person as the classic nerd or geek. They think of an intellectual, who is scrawny and wears wire-rimmed glasses—someone who looks like Bill Gates. Other people imagine an old farmer. A man without much formal education, skin weathered by years of sun exposure and eyes heavy from working daylight to dark.
James tells to imagine a different kind of person. A truly wise person is the person who lives a good life…a life defined by humility in relationship with other people and defined by righteousness in relationship with God. In other words, true wisdom is not a state of mind. It is a state of life—the way you live in relationship with God and other people.
This is not the first time James has written about wisdom in his brief letter. He introduced the concept of wisdom in James 1: 5, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.”
This is the kind of life God wants all of us to live. It is not reserved for the super spiritual people. It is not something reserved for a special class of people who are initiated into the secret knowledge of God. Wisdom is available to any and all who will simply ask God. If you can pray, you can be wise. If you will just ask, God wants to make you wise. But God wants to give you True Wisdom…not False Wisdom.
False Wisdom
Source of False Wisdom…Where does False Wisdom come from?
It does not come from Heaven. Instead, it comes from the earth—from the people of the earth.
It is unspiritual. The natural state of human beings is unspiritual. Naturally, we are not led by the Holy Spirit. We depend on our own strength and human abilities.
It is of the devil. Any time we refuse to listen and follow the Holy Spirit, we are following the way of the devil. These are the only choices we have.
Characteristics of False Wisdom…What does False Wisdom look like?
It is motivated by bitter envy. Envy is the result of comparing yourself to other people. No matter how smart you think you are, you can find someone smarter than you are. No matter how wealthy you are, you can always find someone who is wealthier than you are. God has created each of us to be unique. We should not compare ourselves to others. Comparing ourselves to others is setting our goals too low. We should compare ourselves to God’s calling and expectations for our lives.
It is characterized by selfish ambition. This is closely related to comparing ourselves to others. When we compare ourselves to other people, we awaken our desire to compete. We are not satisfied with second best. We want to be the best. We want to defeat other people.
Results of False Wisdom…What kind of life does False Wisdom produce?
It leads to disorder. People do not get along with each other when they are constantly comparing themselves to the accomplishments of others and trying to defeat each other. Since much of the New Testament was addressed to churches, one obvious application of this is our relationships within the church. If you think you are the most important person in the church, you are destroying the church. If you think your work and ministry within the church is the most important, you are destroying the church. If you are jealous of the ways other people work in the church, you are destroying the church. Order in the church is necessary for us to be united in spirit and in mission. When we allow jealousy and disorder to reign in the church, it is impossible for us to accomplish God’s mission outside the church.
It leads to evil practice. Worldly wisdom is False Wisdom. False Wisdom leads us into a sinful lifestyle. This happens when we are so focused on other people that we lose sight of God. Comparing ourselves to others is setting our sights too low. We are comparing ourselves to other people who are sinful. We don’t feel so bad about our own sins, because at least I’m not as bad as THAT PERSON…
True Wisdom
Source of True Wisdom…Where does True Wisdom come from?
It comes down from Heaven. In the Bible, there are several things that came down from Heaven. In the Book of Exodus, Moses went up the mountain to receive the Law, which came down from Heaven. In Matthew 3, Jesus came up out of the
Characteristics of True Wisdom…What does True Wisdom look like?
Pure…Peace-Loving…Considerate…Submissive (meek)…Full of Mercy…Good Fruit…Impartial…Sincere… What do you notice about these characteristics of True Wisdom? I notice two things. First, James’ teaching on Wisdom sound a lot like the Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5: 3 – 10). Second, James’ teaching on Wisdom—and the Beatitudes—were lived out in the life of Jesus as our example.
3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
(NIV)
Results of True Wisdom…What kind of life does True Wisdom produce?
True Wisdom produces peace-makers. Wise men and women make peace with all people. We don’t live in competition with others. We get along, even when others make it difficult to get along. Sometimes being a peace-maker is hard work.
True Wisdom produces Righteousness. The best way I know to describe Righteousness is to say it is being at peace with God. The New Testament defines Righteousness in terms of our relationship with God. Righteousness is not the things you and I do for God. Righteousness is what God has already done for us through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.
Conclusion
Jewish author Elie Weisel is famous for writing about his experience in
In his memoir, All Rivers Run to the Sea, Weisel described the pain and suffering he experienced in
In his first few months in the concentration camp, he watched the other prisoners as they were struggling to survive. He noticed that many of the people who died had one thing in common. They had no one to live for beyond themselves. They selfishly ate all of their food, drank all of their water and kept to themselves.
The ones who survived were the ones who shared their food and water and did everything they could to preserve the lives of others.
This is what made all the difference for Weisel’s experience in
In the same way, James is telling us not to live for ourselves. We need something bigger than ourselves to keep us alive. We need to live for others.
That is contrary to the Wisdom of the World. The world tells us to be ambitious and to be competitive, so we can make it to the top of the corporate ladder. The world tells us to work for stuff—as if the stuff in life is most valuable.
But the Wisdom of God tells us to live selfless lives based on the character of God as it was demonstrated for us in the example of Jesus. This kind of life is only available to us as a GRACE from God. But it is available to all of us. All we have to do is ask.
[1] This inspirational quote can be found in multiple forms on the Internet: http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2000/april24/6.94.html , http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/paradox.asp , http://www.appleseeds.org/paradox-history.htm .
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