A Closer Walk
"And my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God," 1 Corinthians 2:4-5 NASB. As children of God our faith should not rest on the wisdom of men. It should rest on the power of God. Man's wisdom is limited. God's power is not.
"But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, and demonic. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy," James 3:14-17 NASB. Here the Bible compares earthly wisdom to Godly wisdom. Man's wisdom is earthly, and seems to be self seeking and self serving. But Godly wisdom fosters righteousness and good fruits.
Godly wisdom will keep us pointed toward our Heavenly Father and His Kingdom. It is pure; not seeking evil, but pursing righteousness. Godly wisdom is peaceable. It doesn't stir up trouble. The person speaking Godly wisdom doesn't need to shout or holler. As children of God our spirit seems to recognize when we are hearing Godly wisdom. It is gentle. Godly wisdom can be spoken using soft words; and it can be spoken gently. Godly wisdom is reasonable. We are able to understand it because it is reasonable, not outlandish. Godly wisdom is full of mercy. We show compassion, or offer mercy to those who are hurting or who need to talk. It brings good fruits, which builds up the Kingdom of God and its believers, as well as those who aren't believers. It is unwavering. Always loyal to our God and His Kingdom. Godly wisdom is without hypocrisy. Hypocrisy is sometimes described as being two-faced; saying one thing and doing another. Obviously we as God's children should avoid that.
Our faith should not rest on man's wisdom, which is earthly and self seeking. But our faith should rest on the power of God. How much power does God have? We see God's creative power in all of creation. He started with nothing, and from that He created the earth and all it contains, along with all the rest of the universe. We also see God's creative power in the conception, formation, and birth of a newborn baby. We see His power over sin through the redemption and regeneration of individuals who accept Christ as Lord and Savior. And we proclaim, “There is power in the blood of the Lamb!” We see His power in raising up nations, and tearing them down. Ever met an Amorite, or a Girgashite? How about a Jebusite, or a Hivite? And we see His power in nature. Tornadoes, hurricanes, lightning, thunderstorms, hail, and earthquakes are all referred to as “Acts of God.”
Our faith should rest, always, on the power of God. Can man's wisdom overcome God's power? Or, is it more likely that God's power will overcome man's wisdom?