James 3: 14-15, But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your heart, don’t brag and deny the truth. 15 Such wisdom does not come from above but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.
Bitter envy and selfish ambition contrast directly with showing good conduct with wisdom’s gentleness, found in James 3:13. The greek word for bitter was used for undrinkable water, combined with envy defines a harsh resentful attitude toward others. Selfish ambition describes a position of getting ahead while trampling on others regardless of the cost. If bitter envy and selfish ambition are what is in our hearts, it will overflow to our words and actions. Then we are not to brag and deny the truth. I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t want anyone to know I was jealous and selfish.
However, I think we all have a little bit of both inside us. Just think about your feelings, when you scroll through social media and look at all of the perfect pictures and families having a wonderful time together. For most of us, that is NOT reality. Our lives are messy, our families don’t cooperate, and we don’t all like each other all of the time! And don’t we all want to be seen as successful?
Guarding against earthly wisdom
Earthly, sensual, and devilish, answer to the three spiritual foes of man, the world, the flesh, and the devil. We have to be alert to what the world, the flesh, and the devil are offering us. God’s wisdom is so much better!
Dear Lord, we pray that Your Word would guide us to know your wisdom and not fall into the traps of the world. Guard our hearts and minds. In Jesus name, Amen.
The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Jas 3:14–15). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Vol. 2, p. 490). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
