Bible Reading
Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15 Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
James 3:13-16
James 3:13-16
Devotional
In one way or another, this scenario has happened to most, if not all of us. We are watching a movie or reading a book, and within the story, we see a character who possesses something we want. Maybe they are living in opulence, luxury, and great wealth, maybe they have great power and influence, or maybe they are just incredibly athletic, talented, or beautiful. Whatever it is, some part of us wishes we could have something of what they have. There is a version of these desires that are innocent enough, but there are also versions of envy, jealousy, and ambition which can easily become dangerous, toxic, and sinful. This is where envy turns into and becomes bitter envy; our hearts are poisoned with dissatisfaction over what God has given us and long for something more. This is the point when ambition becomes a selfish ambition; instead of seeking more for the betterment of others, we seek more only for our own satisfaction and gain.
These ideas of bitter envy and selfish ambition are the major subjects of today's passage from James. Where do these feelings come from? What do they ultimately lead to? What should we do about them when they raise their ugly head in our lives? To some extent, these feelings undoubtedly will make their way into our hearts and minds. We all become bitter about our lives at some point. We all look at ourselves in the mirror and wish we could be more like someone else. We look at what another person owns or possesses and wonder why someone else has what we want. The real question then becomes what you will do with these thoughts and emotions. What will you do and where will you turn to achieve or possess that which you think you lack? Many people who take action to get things they think will bring them joy later realize that these things didn't make them happy and left them feeling more unfulfilled than they were before. They also regret the roads they walked and the choices they made along the way to get the thing they now realize they don't really want or need.
We all want the good life, and we often live our lives seeking out the good life. But in verse 13, James tells us that this good life can be found through deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. The good life is not a life of harboring bitter envy and selfish ambition but a life full of humility, godly wisdom, and living out that which points to your faith in Jesus. Whenever we seek out a counterfeit good life, we can be assured that James was correct in saying that disorder and every evil practice will be close by. Lying, cheating, stealing, and cruelty can always be found when people seek out a better life apart from the source of where that good life actually comes. James directly says that this unholy pursuit is earthly, unspiritual, and even demonic in its origin. Think about this in your own life; instead of pursuing the result, we think we want, why not start by pursuing Godly wisdom, humility, and deeds done in faith, and see where that leads you?
These ideas of bitter envy and selfish ambition are the major subjects of today's passage from James. Where do these feelings come from? What do they ultimately lead to? What should we do about them when they raise their ugly head in our lives? To some extent, these feelings undoubtedly will make their way into our hearts and minds. We all become bitter about our lives at some point. We all look at ourselves in the mirror and wish we could be more like someone else. We look at what another person owns or possesses and wonder why someone else has what we want. The real question then becomes what you will do with these thoughts and emotions. What will you do and where will you turn to achieve or possess that which you think you lack? Many people who take action to get things they think will bring them joy later realize that these things didn't make them happy and left them feeling more unfulfilled than they were before. They also regret the roads they walked and the choices they made along the way to get the thing they now realize they don't really want or need.
We all want the good life, and we often live our lives seeking out the good life. But in verse 13, James tells us that this good life can be found through deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. The good life is not a life of harboring bitter envy and selfish ambition but a life full of humility, godly wisdom, and living out that which points to your faith in Jesus. Whenever we seek out a counterfeit good life, we can be assured that James was correct in saying that disorder and every evil practice will be close by. Lying, cheating, stealing, and cruelty can always be found when people seek out a better life apart from the source of where that good life actually comes. James directly says that this unholy pursuit is earthly, unspiritual, and even demonic in its origin. Think about this in your own life; instead of pursuing the result, we think we want, why not start by pursuing Godly wisdom, humility, and deeds done in faith, and see where that leads you?