"But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy."
James 3:17
One way to identify true, godly wisdom is the influence that such wisdom has on our relationships with other people. You do not need to be told that there is much polarization and strife in our nation—people yelling at each other, journalists writing articles that demonize entire segments of the population, social media posts using vulgarities as venom in virtual arguments. In James 3:17 after purity, notice the next four characteristics of wisdom: peaceable, gentle, approachable, and merciful.
A Christian with God's grace and wisdom will find ways to defuse situations not light fuses. Whether at home or at work, in our assemblies and neighborhoods, Christians ought to be peacemakers. I encourage you to avoid social media; however, if you use social media, do not treat others as faceless opponents to be dogmatically denounced. Utilize God's wisdom and grace to bring calm to storms, rationality to arguments, and warm affection to injured hearts. Be merciful, be approachable, be gentle, and be peaceable.
Pastor Scott Dean
God has been very good to us. We have a tendency to focus on the negative and notice all the things that we lack rather than to see all the gifts that God has given us.
When we experience the vanity that is life without God, do we return to the God who loves us?
Rest comes from rejecting responsibilities that God does not intend for us and accepting God's yoke for us.
The answer to America's social ills is God's grace and Christian love.