I had to say a prayer at a friend’s fiftieth birthday. I knew there would be people who believed differently and even those who didn’t believe at all. So, what does one pray then?

We were standing right up in the mountains at a very grand restaurant, and I couldn’t help but praise God for His incredibly beautiful creation. Then I turned to my friend and asked our Father to help him with just one thing. No, not to help, but to flood him with wisdom.

Solomon was so wise when he had the opportunity to choose anything. All the money in the world, all the prestige, and he chose wisdom. With wisdom, you stay on the right path. With wisdom, you help others to get to the right place.

However, wisdom is not something you acquire quickly. It takes a lifetime to master it. As you live life, stub your toes, and gain experience, you learn true wisdom.

You learn to do things without ulterior motives. You learn to always sow peace and behave politely. Wisdom teaches you to be mindful of others and cry with them when their tears flow. Wisdom teaches you how to bear good fruit and not take sides. In the last instance, it means to live sincerely.

The original language actually says that wisdom has nothing to do with hypocrisy. It is unwise to pretend to be holy. The English word for this is being a hypocrite, which in the Greek world originally referred to an actor.

In those times, actors wore masks to help people not see the actor, but rather the character the actor was playing. Wisdom wears no masks. Wisdom shows the true person. Always.

Most of us are wise most of the time, but when something happens, when we are in trouble, we can quickly tell a lie to help us out of trouble.

This is unwise because then we hide the truth behind a mask. We paint a different picture than the real one, and life tends to uncover dishonesty soon.

Let’s make a point of showing only the truth at all times. Even though the picture may be crooked and skew, even if it doesn’t look like what we think people will want to see, let’s always show our true colours. Let’s be sincere in everything we do and say and leave the masks for the actors.

¹⁷Real wisdom, God’s wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced.

Scripture
James 3:17-18

Reflection
Where have you worn a mask?
What should you do not to wear a mask?
How can you help others not to put on masks?

Prayer
Father, I would like to be wise in everything I do. Please help me to make each of these qualities a part of my life. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.