READ PRAYERFULLY
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. But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying. For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.
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.
What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.
You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. Do you think the Scriptures have no meaning? They say that God is passionate that the spirit he has placed within us should be faithful to him. And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.
Don’t speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters. If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God’s law. But your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you. God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to judge your neighbor? JAMES 3:13-4:12 NLT
EXTRACT THE MAIN IDEA
Real wisdom is born out of our humility
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 NLT
So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. 1 PETER 5:6-7 NLT
Falling in love with yourself will cause you to fall out of love with God
“You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God.” JAMES 4:4 NLT
“If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.” MATTHEW 10:39 NLT
APPLY IT TO MY LIFE
There are consequences for pursuing things of this world
And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure. JAMES 4:3 NLT
For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. 1 JOHN 2:16 NLT
There are benefits to pursuing God
And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness. JAMES 3:17-18 NLT
I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! JOHN 15:11 NLT
True humility and fear of the Lord lead to riches, honor, and long life. PROVERBS 22:4 NLT
LET IT OUT