The Wisdom Behind The Mask
But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness. James 3:17-18
For the past year, I have heard a bunch of things we as Christians have said about the pandemic. I want to address one that was very serious and important to me. A few have said that people wore mask because of fear, and thus, they do not truly trust God. Now that sounded silly to me. But then, I heard it from others including one in ministry. So, perhaps it is not as singled minded in thought as I once believed. So, I asked myself a simple question. Do I not trust God to protect me from harm? One could certainly go down that path not only on just mask wearing but also a bunch of other things. My focus moved toward my wife, who works in retail and must go out every day to serve others. When I thought about her and what she must do, the truth became very clear early on. I wore a mask not because I’m afraid of a virus. I wore it because I love and care for people like my mother, who turns 85 this year. It was neither a political statement nor a test of my faith. I wore it because it was wise to do so for the sake of others.
God gives us wisdom to cut through nonsense. A word that initially came to mind to me was discernment. I was trying to figure out why is that word important to know, and where does it differ from wisdom. Discernment is defined as perception in the absence of judgment with a view to obtaining spiritual direction and understanding. On the other hand, wisdom is the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment; the quality of being wise. My church is studying the book of Proverbs, and in its very first few verses, it speaks of both discernment and wisdom saying these things about the book itself:
Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline,
to help them understand the insights of the wise. Proverbs 1:2
These proverbs will give insight to the simple,
knowledge and discernment to the young. Proverbs 1:4
These two words are nearly identical, but the subtle and key difference lies in the reading these two verses. Discernment is like walking in the dark the very first time. You are feeling you way around and trusting your instinct to guide you to the light. Wisdom is when you have been in the darkness before and know exactly the steps to take toward the light (i.e. move in one direction to a wall). One is gut (discernment) while the other is taught (wisdom). Think of driving. You might close your eyes and believe God will drive the car for you. Discernment will tell you that might not be the right move. Wisdom says, “You know traffic is backed up at 8:00 this time of day. Let’s not make that choice.” Discernment is making the choice when you do not have all the information. Wisdom is knowing whether a choice even needs to be made. The Serenity Prayer ends not with discernment but wisdom to know the difference between serenity and courage. See, wisdom takes all God as given us, and then acting on it. That is what today’s verses are all about; the purity of God’s wisdom and its fruits.
Our spiritual journey always require we grow in Christ each and every day. We will not always make the right choice, but as we gain wisdom, we not only make better choices but also begin to know when a decision needs to be made. Let us use the wisdom God has given us to do what is right for His glory. Not our own. What do you need God’s wisdom for today? Are you truly trusting God or using it for something unintended? My prayer is we have wisdom to do what God requires of us even when it is as simple as wearing a mask. Amen.