Compiled By: Lisa K Gonzales
Source: The Life Application Study Bible
13 “If you are wise and understand GOD’s ways, live a life of steady goodness so that only good deeds will pour forth. And if you do not brag about the good you do, then you will be truly wise! 14 But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your hearts, do not brag about being wise. That is the worst kind of lie. 15 For jealousy and selfishness are not GOD’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and motivated by the Devil. 16 For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and every kind of evil.” ~ James 3:13-16
Bitter jealousy and selfish ambition are inspired by the Devil. It is easy for us to be drawn into wrong desires by the pressures of society and sometimes even by well-meaning Christians. By listening to the advice: “Assert yourself”, “Go for it”, “Set high goals”, we can be drawn into greed and destructive competitiveness. Seeking GOD’s wisdom delivers us from the need to compare ourselves to others and to want what they have.
Have you ever known anyone who claimed to be wise but who acted foolishly? True wisdom can be measured by a person’s character. Just as you can identify a tree by the type of fruit it produces, you can evaluate your wisdom by the way you act. Foolishness leads to disorder, but wisdom leads to peace and goodness. Are you tempted to escalate a conflict, pass on gossip, or fan the fire of discord? Careful, winsome speech and wise, loving words are the seeds of peace. GOD loves peacemakers. – “GOD blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of GOD.” – Matthew 5:9 – Being “blessed” by GOD means the experience of hope and joy, independent of outward circumstances. To find hope and joy, the deepest form of happiness, follow Jesus no matter what the cost.
17 “But the wisdom that comes from heaven 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 good deeds. It shows no partiality and is always sincere. 18 And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of goodness.” – James 3:17-18
Father GOD, we want to be wise and understand all YOUR ways, and we want to live a life of steady goodness so that only good deeds will pour forth. Father we ask for a Spiritual awakening and renewal of our thoughts and attitudes. We ask for Spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that we might grow in our knowledge of YOU. We pray that our hearts will be flooded with light so that we can understand the wonderful future YOU have promised us. We pray that from YOUR glorious, unlimited resources, YOU will give us mighty inner strength through YOUR Holy Spirit and that Christ will become more and more at home in our hearts as we learn to trust in Him daily.
We ask that YOU would ground us deep in the soil of YOUR marvelous love and give us the power to understand how deep, how wide, how long, and how high YOUR love really is. We want to experience the love of Christ and be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from YOU, Father GOD. Fill every aspect of our lives with YOUR Holy Spirit so that we will have a complete understanding of what YOU want to do in our lives so that we will be filled with true and lasting joy.
Photo: Stowe (Vermont)
Photo By: Lisa K Gonzales
Click on the photo to enlarge
