An interesting and insightful comment appeared in my previous post. “How do you know when the wisdom is God's and not your own? I'm awfully good at rationalizing all of my own wisdom and prooftexting it with random verses.” I guess my best answer is a favorite scripture, “a tree is know by it’s fruit” Matt 12:33;James 3:12). Or, my teaching tool while my kids were growing up, “now, how do you know that tree in the backyard isn’t a broccoli tree?” (btw, the back yard was a veritable apple orchard)

This reminds me of another favorite scripture passage, James 3:13-18: – a list of fruit of sorts so you can identify your tree - God’s wisdom or your own. “earthly, sensual, devilish, envying, strife, confusion and every evil work” – or “pure, peaceable, gentle, easily entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy – the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace”

Just to let you know, my favorite is “easily entreateable” – it means you listen well; I think to God and others. A wise person knows how to listen well to others, cares about what they have to say and is willing, when it is right, to yield.

So, what about your fruit salad- fragrant, juicy and sweet or hard, bitter and unyielding?