Let me pass a couple of words by you: PAIN and WISDOM. How about it, do you think that these two words are related? Here’s a couple more: GENTLENESS and WISDOM. Do you see any correlation with these two words? I was reading and thinking about what James has to say about wisdom this past week. I have long believed that the NT book of James is a mini-commentary on the OT book of Proverbs. If you don’t agree, that’s okay. When we get to glory we’ll figure it all out! (Along with much, much more, I suppose!) Anyway, after pondering James, I read something from Chuck Swindoll, our modern day Christian version of last century’s pundit, Will Rogers. He said he sat down with a businessman for lunch and the topic of wisdom came up and Chuck asked him how he acquired wisdom. Without hesitation the businessman said, “Pain.” I must confess I was caught off guard a little bit. But the more I pondered it, the more it sounded like James. 1:2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. 5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. It does seem like James could be putting pain (testing/trials) together with acquiring wisdom. But what about gentleness and wisdom? James addresses that a little later as well: 3:7 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. 18 And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. This time around, I don’t think it’s so much the acquiring of wisdom that is being emphasized as it is the demonstration of wisdom. If we’ve prayed to receive wisdom from above, and James also tells us all gifts that come from the Father are good, then we ought to be prepared to minister wisdom gently. This wisdom that is pure and peaceable, full of mercy…is looking to be sown for peaceful and righteous purposes. So, what do you think? Pain and wisdom; gentleness and wisdom, does it work for you?