Which Wisdom?

<p>Just before Easter 2018, a terrorist entered a supermarket in Tr&egrave;bes, France, killing two people and taking a third woman hostage. When efforts to free the woman failed, policeman Arnaud Beltrame made the terrorist an offer: release the woman and take him instead.</p> <p>Arnaud&rsquo;s offer was shocking because it went against the popular wisdom of our day. You can always tell a culture&rsquo;s &ldquo;wisdom&rdquo; by the sayings it celebrates, like the celebrity quotes that get posted on social media. &ldquo;The biggest adventure you can take is to live the life of your dreams,&rdquo; one popular quote reads. &ldquo;Love yourself first and everything else falls into line,&rdquo; says another. &ldquo;Do what you have to do, for you,&rdquo; states a third. Had Arnaud followed such advice, he&rsquo;d have put himself first and run.</p> <p>The apostle James says there are two kinds of wisdom in the world: one &ldquo;earthly,&rdquo; another &ldquo;heavenly.&rdquo; The first is marked by selfish ambition and disorder (James 3:14&ndash;16); the second, by humility, submission, and peacemaking (vv. 13, 17&ndash;18). Earthly wisdom puts self first. Heavenly wisdom favors others, leading to a life of humble deeds (v. 13).</p> <p>The terrorist accepted Arnaud&rsquo;s offer. The hostage was released, Arnaud was shot, and that Easter the world witnessed an innocent man dying for someone else.</p> <p>Heavenly wisdom leads to humble deeds because it places God above self (Proverbs 9:10). Which wisdom are you following today?</p>