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| “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.” |
| —James 3:13 |
We don’t often use the word “beget.” It’s a rather old word that indicates when some quality comes from another quality. It also is used in some ancient literature, including older Bible translations, to indicate who the father of a particular child was—as in, Saul begets Jonathan.
Writing his letter to the churches scattered across Asia Minor, the land we know today as Turkey, the Apostle James included these words, found in James 3:13:
Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.
Another way of stating this verse reads:
Is any wise among you? Does any have understanding? Let him (or her) show it by his (or her) good life defined by good deeds done in wisdom that begets humility.
The point is that true wisdom produces the quality of humility.
If you see someone acting in a know-it-all manner, with a haughty attitude that looks down on others, then you can be certain that person does not have wisdom. Why? Because wisdom begets humility. Said another way: genuine wisdom produces humility.
As we begin a new day, let’s ask God to give us true wisdom. Then, let’s see if the good things we do in the name of Jesus and because we belong to Him are done with a humble spirit. I think we’ll be surprised to see that the application of God-given wisdom will, indeed, produce a humility within us that will allow us to represent Christ to the world in a selfless and humble way.
