These are times that make you think about the relevance of being a Christian in this world — this fallen, increasingly unstable world.

I write every day to inspire my Christian family, offering tools to build a genuine and nourishing relationship with the Lord. These days I do that against a backdrop of the news: stunning, surreal, almost unbelievable. It feels like the world has gone mad.

Like you, I’m processing feelings. Grief creeps in more often, mingled with some anger and indignation at the injustice I see. Frankly, I am shocked at the foolish, perverse, evil behavior I see played out on my TV screen. Even, at times, among the so-called good guys.

The Lord warned us.

Jesus told us to prepare for these days — days of darkness. Of selfishness gone to seed. Days when good is called evil and evil is sold as good. Times of people demanding what they want, no matter what it does to their neighbor:

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God — having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.

2 Timothy 3:1-5

These words once read like a distant warning. Now they read like today’s news.

I don’t know how close we are to last in this season of the last days. All I know is what’s happening fuels passion in me to write something to help you navigate these times. To get through them with wisdom and grace, walking with the Lord, as opposed to wondering where He is and what He’s going to do about all this.

Lately most of my writing energy is spent on crafting daily devotionals for subscribers. In early June, nearing the conclusion of a series on knowing God The Father, I asked the Spirit what to write about next. I wasn’t surprised when He replied,

“Let’s write a series about wisdom.”

And that was BEFORE chaos broke loose when a cop violated his covenant to protect people, and murdered a black man in front of the whole world. That became the spark that lit a wild fire which quickly got out of control. Designed by protestors to be a controlled burn, the winds of evil opportunists came and drove that fire to places the original crusaders never intended. Often with the result of destroying the very lives of people the protestors wanted protected — black Americans.

The people governing us need wisdom. The people running cities and counties and states, our country, and all nations, need wisdom. Of course, they need it every day, but times like these reveal just how valuable wisdom is. As citizens of a democracy, we re-evaluate the hearts and motives of those we elected to office. Or in some cases, just allowed others to elect to office, while we went about our business, hoping and trusting God would just see to all that.

My point is this: we also need wisdom. For how to pray. To know how to respond to the darkness on display in the world. How to talk to our children about all that. Wisdom to discern the hearts of those we will soon be called to elect to public office. Not to mention, wisdom to live our lives well.

The “wisdom” we’ve seen so far won’t do. We need the wisdom of God.

The Apostle James wrote a spot-on sermon-ette in his letter to first generation Christians, about the difference between the wisdom of the world and the wisdom of God. He draws sharp contrasts between these, and brilliantly sums up what the balance of Scripture says (which is A LOT):

• That the wisdom of the world leads to death. It tears life and relationships down, while the wisdom of God is a tree of life, that redeems, heals, and nourishes life.
• That the wisdom of the world is divisive and corrosive. Wisdom from God, however, knits hearts together in righteousness and peace.
• That the wisdom of the world is unstable, changes with the times. This offers the devil ample opportunity to deceive people, and make them unstable as well. The wisdom of God is the truth that never changes. What was right yesterday is right today and will be right tomorrow. Monuments you build to God’s truth won’t need to be torn down tomorrow in shame and anger.
• That the wisdom of the world is self-serving and indifferent to others. The wisdom of God focuses on how to faithfully love and serve your fellow man, as well as God.
• That wisdom from any source proves its value by the actions it generates. We are meant to judge wisdom by the fruit (character and actions) it produces in one’s life.

The source of so-called worldly wisdom is not benign.

James goes so far as to say that the wisdom of the world has the power of the demonic realm behind it:

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.

But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

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. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.

James 3:13-18 (NIV)

I never doubted the truth of these assessments by James as to the source and fruit of so-called wisdom — but never before have I seen them so clearly and starkly illustrated. I believed. Now I really believe.

Devotionals: The Wisdom Series

The Wisdom Series devotionals are all about exploring and comparing the source and the fruit of worldly wisdom versus God’s wisdom. The end goal of the series is to inspire you to seek God’s wisdom, to give it its proper value and place in your life, so you can actually live by it.

To inspire change in your world, you need to be part of the change. Little people are watching you. Neighbors are paying attention. Your spouse and co-workers notice. Behavior is contagious, whether it is foolish or wise. Above all, your own life, the abundant life promised by God in His New Covenant, doesn’t show up like magic. You can’t live by the world’s wisdom and then ask God why your life isn’t abundant. Abundant life is not a gift you unwrap, it is a life you and Wisdom build together.

In the book of Proverbs, wisdom is personified.

Wisdom frequently speaks to us from Proverbs as a person with a capital W. Why?

To emphasize the fact that Wisdom isn’t merely a body of knowledge you acquire through reading or taking classes. True wisdom — the kind that gives life to your spirit and can heal your world — comes only through a relationship with the Living God. The kind where you learn to walk in His counsel.

James points this out when he says in his letter,

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

James 1:5-8 NIV

Yes, you have a Bible full of wisdom and great truth. Anyone who reads my writings is accustomed to being nagged about reading the whole Bible. Yet without the guidance of the author of all that wisdom, you can still misapply it, misjudge situations and people, and still make foolish choices — all while thinking you’ve got it covered. Because you go to church and have read the Bible.

I assure you, there are sincere Christians out in the world right now contributing to the chaos, because they know Scripture without knowing how to walk with God Himself. This is what the Bible describes as having knowledge without wisdom or understanding.

Apostle Paul included this as his goal when teaching the churches:

My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Colossians 2:2-3

Let’s state the obvious: the world needs Jesus now. You can’t lead the whole world to Christ. But what you can do is know your God, and pursue the wisdom of Christ right where you live.

What the world needs now, is the wisdom of Jesus Christ, combined with the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit to live by that wisdom.

While the world waits for you and me and all the redeemed children of God to learn how to live that life, let us pray for the world. For God to graciously pour His wisdom on those who govern us, even as He sends His rain on the evil and the good.