Wisdom is a gift from God. There is a vast difference between wisdom and knowledge. Knowledge can be achieved by study, but wisdom is one of God’s great blessings. To be blessed with wisdom is a gift that we cannot take any credit for. My grandmother, whom I love, did not have much formal training, but she was blessed with wisdom. She shared that wisdom with me, and I am much better because of it. Wisdom gives us discernment. It reminds us of God’s amazing power. No matter what we are going through in this world, wisdom reminds us that God’s Grace is sufficient to meet all our needs! Not some of our needs, not a few of our needs, but all our needs are met by Almighty God.
As we look at these words in James, we hear him say, wisdom comes from God. Listen to what he says in verse 13:

“If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom.”

James goes on to say wisdom is “pure,” “gentle,” “full of mercy,” and from “good deeds.” Wisdom teaches us how to live, how to love, and how to forgive. When we say we have wisdom, it has to be applied to our lives. How we live demonstrates our wisdom. In other words, if you have wisdom, live a life that is honorable to God.