Family members and friends never seem to be at a loss for words of wisdom. On top of that, so called experts love to tell us what we should be doing and warn us against things we shouldn’t do. If you take the time, you can find advice on any subject through social media. Then, of course, we have politicians telling us what is right and wrong. How can we know what messages we should use and which ones we should reject?
James 3:17 says, “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.” God is the source of all wisdom and His wisdom always meets these standards. Judge all speech and instruction by these qualities. If what you read or hear does not meet these standards, reject those words. If speech is not gentle and promote peace, it is not wisdom. If what you read does not provide mercy and promote good works, it is to be rejected as unwise.
These standards of wisdom also apply to our own speech. To speak words of wisdom our speech must be gentle, impartial, promote good and peace, and be full of mercy. Ask God to help you change your speech patterns to meet the requirements of wisdom.
Reluctant Retiree 