An Honorable Life

“If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom.” James 3:13

Owls are often seen as wise due to their large eyes, resolute posture and relative silence. There is a lot we can learn from owls. James tells us that those who are wise live an honorable life. They approach life with eyes wide open. The wise honor God in their behavior and conduct. They live what they teach. They are moral and just, loving and caring.

Their posture is resolute. They do not waiver from doing what is right. More importantly, those who are wise do good works with humility. They are humble. The word humility comes from a Latin word meaning low. But humility is not to be confused with weakness. The kind of lowness expressed in the word humility is typically one chosen by oneself. The strength of the humble is that they intentionally choose a lower posture so that others can be lifted up. The humble are not prideful or arrogant. And like the wise old owl, they understand the importance of being relatively silent in certain situations.