“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.” (James 3:17 NIV)

How do you know if you are being wise according to God’s standards?

This verse at the top gives us the answer. God’s wisdom is not merely smart—it is visible in character and conduct.

It must be pure

Pure means not mixed or corrupted. It is morally clean, upright, honorable, blameless, and sincere—free from compromise and deceit.

It must be peace-loving

Peace-loving means peaceable, gentle, conciliatory, calm, and a peacemaker rather than a troublemaker.

It must be considerate

Considerate means careful not to hurt or inconvenience others—thoughtful, kind, patient, compassionate, and unselfish.

It is submissive

Submissive means willing to yield, teachable, not stubborn or self-willed—ready to follow God’s will and proper authority.

It is full of mercy

Mercy is compassion and forgiveness shown even when punishment is deserved. It demonstrates kindness, grace, patience, and tenderheartedness.

Full of good fruit

Good fruit is what the Holy Spirit produces in us:

“Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22)

It must be impartial

Impartial means fair, just, unbiased, and without favoritism.

It must be sincere

Sincere means genuine, honest, and free from hypocrisy—real on the inside, not just polished on the outside.

Wisdom is the principal thing!

“Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.” (Proverbs 4:7)

Need God’s kind of wisdom? Ask Him!

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” (James 1:5)

Therefore

Don’t measure wisdom by how clever or persuasive you are. Measure it by the fruit your life produces. If your choices are pure, peace-loving, merciful, fair, and sincere, you are walking in God’s wisdom. If not, ask God—and He promises to give it generously.

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” (Proverbs 9:10)

“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.” (James 3:17 NIV)

A friend once invited me to visit his orchard. As we walked among the trees, I noticed that some were heavy with fruit while others barely produced any. He smiled and said, “These trees that bear the most fruit are the ones that have been pruned the most. They’ve been shaped to grow the right way.”

That image stayed with me. Godly wisdom works the same way—it grows in us as we allow God to shape, trim, and mature us. The fruit of true wisdom isn’t instant—it develops through surrender and obedience to God’s Word.

The verse at the top of the page gives us a clear checklist for recognizing godly wisdom:

·      It must be pure. Pure means not mixed or contaminated—having no moral failing or guilt. To be pure is to be virtuous, righteous, honest, blameless, and uncorrupted.

·      It must be peace-loving. Peace-loving means being calm, conciliatory, gentle, and seeking harmony rather than strife. True wisdom doesn’t stir up conflict—it restores relationships.

·      It must be considerate. Considerate means careful not to cause hurt or inconvenience to others. It’s attentive, kind, patient, and compassionate. Godly wisdom always values people over pride.

·      It must be submissive. Submissive means willing to yield to proper authority, to listen and learn, and to stay humble. Wisdom recognizes that God’s will is greater than our own.

·      It is full of mercy. Mercy shows compassion and forgiveness toward others even when we have the power to punish or criticize. It’s gentle, understanding, and full of grace.

·      It is full of good fruit. This refers to the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22–23 ESV)

·      It must be impartial. Impartial means fair and just—treating everyone equally, without favoritism or prejudice. God’s wisdom doesn’t play favorites.

·      It must be sincere. Sincere means genuine and free from pretense or deceit. It’s authentic, heartfelt, and honest.

Therefore

The next time you’re faced with a tough decision—whether in business, family, or faith—ask yourself, “Will this choice produce good fruit?” True wisdom doesn’t just make you look good; it makes you do good. God’s kind of wisdom always results in peace, purity, and fruit that lasts.

“Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.” (Prov. 4:7 KJV)

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” (James 1:5 NIV)

“Let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance.” (Prov. 1:5 NIV)

“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.” (James 3:17 )

How do you know if you are being wise according to God’s standards? This verse gives the answer.

It must be pure

Pure is defined as not mixed or adulterated. Having no moral failing or guilt. To be virtuous, ethical, good, righteous, honorable, reputable, wholesome, clean, honest, upright, upstanding, exemplary, irreproachable; decent, worthy, noble, blameless, guiltless, spotless, unsullied, uncorrupt. 

It must be peace-loving

Peace-loving is defined as appeasing, peaceful, amicable,  calm, conciliatory, diplomatic, friendly, gentle, neutral, peaceable, peacemaking, quiet,  tranquil, untroubled.

It must be considerate

Considerate is defined as careful not to cause inconvenience or hurt to others. It’s attentive, thoughtful, solicitous, mindful, heedful; obliging, accommodating, helpful, cooperative, patient; kind, unselfish, compassionate, sympathetic, caring, charitable, altruistic, generous; polite, sensitive, tactful.

It is submissive 

Submissive is defined as ready to conform to the authority or will of others; meekly obedient or passive. It is compliant, yielding, acquiescent, unassertive, passive, obedient, biddable, dutiful, docile, pliant.

It is full of mercy

Mercy is defined as compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm. Mercy demonstrates leniency, clemency, compassion, grace, pity, charity, forgiveness, forbearance, soft-heartedness, tenderheartedness, kindness, sympathy.

Full of good fruit

Good fruit is defined as that which is produced by the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Gal. 5:22)

It must be impartial

Impartial is defined as treating all rivals or disputants equally; fair and just. To be impartial means to be unbiased, unprejudiced, neutral, nonpartisan, nondiscriminatory, fair, fair-minded, just; without favoritism.

It must be sincere

Sincere is defined as free from pretense or deceit; proceeding from genuine feelings. To be heartfelt, wholehearted, profound, deep; not dishonest or hypocritical. 

Wisdom is the principle thing!

“Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.” (Prov. 4:7)

Need God’s kind of wisdom? Ask God for it!

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” (James 1:5)

“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.” (James 3:17 NIV)

How do you know if you are being wise according to God’s standards? This verse gives the answer.

It must be pure

Pure is defined as not mixed or adulterated. Having no moral failing or guilt. To be virtuous, ethical, good, righteous, honorable, reputable, wholesome, clean, honest, upright, upstanding, exemplary, irreproachable; decent, worthy, noble, blameless, guiltless, spotless, unsullied, uncorrupt.

It must be peace-loving

Peace-loving is defined as appeasing, peaceful, amicable, calm, conciliatory, diplomatic, friendly, gentle, neutral, peaceable, peacemaking, quiet, tranquil, untroubled.

It must be considerate

Considerate is defined as careful not to cause inconvenience or hurt to others. It’s attentive, thoughtful, solicitous, mindful, heedful; obliging, accommodating, helpful, cooperative, patient; kind, unselfish, compassionate, sympathetic, caring, charitable, altruistic, generous; polite, sensitive, tactful.

It is submissive

Submissive is defined as ready to conform to the authority or will of others; meekly obedient or passive. It is compliant, yielding, acquiescent, unassertive, passive, obedient, biddable, dutiful, docile, pliant.

It is full of mercy

Mercy is defined as compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one’s power to punish or harm. Mercy demonstrates leniency, clemency, compassion, grace, pity, charity, forgiveness, forbearance, soft-heartedness, tenderheartedness, kindness, sympathy.

Full of good fruit

Good fruit is defined as that which is produced by the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control; against such things there is no law. (Gal. 5:22 ESV)

 It must be impartial

Impartial is defined as treating all rivals or disputants equally; fair and just. To be impartial means to be unbiased, unprejudiced, neutral, nonpartisan, nondiscriminatory, fair, fair-minded, just; without favoritism.

It must be sincere

Sincere is defined as free from pretense or deceit; proceeding from genuine feelings. To be heartfelt, wholehearted, profound, deep; not dishonest or hypocritical.

Wisdom is the principle thing!

“Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.” (Prov. 4:7)

Need God’s kind of wisdom? Ask God for it!

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” (James 1:5)