One Word 2014: Wisdom

Midnight struck and my phone said it was January 1, 2014. I wish I can tell you that I did something fabulous when the date shifted but I peacefully slept through it. 

{Note: Once a upon a time, we celebrated New Year's Eve in my favorite beach in the world -- with golden skin and a pretty sundress. We did this every year. Oh how I miss it!} 

While I will still love a more exciting way of welcoming the new year, there was something absolutely beautiful about a quiet taking in of a fresh calendar. It was a more fitting declaration of how I was ready to face 2014. 

The times spent with my Father in the last few days of December have produced a clear prompting of what He would like me to pursue in the coming year. 

I have been studying the book of James recently. As I read through his teachings, I was completely stuck in Chapter 3, Verse 7, and it says: 

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. 

I loved how James words' challenged me on what it meant to be truly wise. 

One huge question comes to mind: 

Do I desire true wisdom or am I only interested in being praised for what I know? 

Oh the danger of wanting the latter. To want to be called an "expert" at something. The temptation to show it off on all possible ways -- which today makes it so easy because of technology. To follow every written law and scoff at the ones who don't. To take pride on being the source of all information. 

The Scripture explains a different picture of wisdom and I completely fell in love with it. 

Pure

Big emphasis that the words "first of all" preceded it. 

Am I willing to start with a pure heart?

(The last time I checked, my heart was really stinky.)

Peace-loving

Am I willing to encourage love (and not strife) in my community? 

(When I see discord, I run the opposite way.)

Considerate

Am I willing to give way to others because it means bring glory to God and not to me?

(Ask my husband, I can be really selfish.)

Submissive

Am I willing to value the wisdom of those who came before me? 

Am I willing to open myself up to learning from the younger generation?

(Sometimes I think I know everything. Once again, you can ask Robert.)

Full of Mercy

Am I willing to be moved by compassion, empathy, and grace and make these my default emotional response to every human being?

(The garbage man was very mean to me the other night. Although I showed kindness on the outside, my insides kept on saying "What a jerk.")

Good Fruit

Love. Joy. Peace. Forbearance. Kindness. Goodness. Faithfulness. Gentleness. Self-Control.

Am I willing to pay the price for moral transformation that can only come from the Holy Spirit?

(I wish I can just drink all of these in a 9 Fruits Smoothie.)

Impartial

Am I willing to love everyone unconditionally?

(I have a tendency to be nicer to those who are nice to me first. To those who have not been nice to my husband? I've had a history of throwing a couple of punches. True story. Not proud of it but it did happen. To be a little fair to myself, I don't normally do that.)

Sincere

Am I willing to flush out every seed of hypocrisy in my life?

(Oh dear. I have some work to do.)

This is the time I humbly ask for your prayers. To my readers who see me frequently in person, I welcome your accountability. I know it will not be easy, and when I do fail, I hope to get to write it in often, expose it to you, and we can, together, experience the beauty of His grace all over again.

I do not want to treat this verse as a checklist. That is why I don't do resolutions in the first place. 

{Note: I am not against resolutions. I just know how I can be with when I make them.}

I truly just want to go deeper in my knowledge of Him. I want daily encounters with my Father.

And as a result, I will have WISDOM and my life will show it.

All to give Him glory.