In what we refer to as Chapter 3, Verses 13-18 of James' letter to the church, James speaks of the Wisdom of Heaven as it compares to earthly "wisdom"...
James 3: 13-18
13Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. 16For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
17But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.
All too often, we rive to impress others and appear professional, important, cool, or powerful. I've been reading Donald Miller's "Searching for God Knows What" lately, and he refers to this as the "lifeboat" mindset. We act as though we are passengers in a too-full lifeboat -- as if we must prove our worth so as not to be thrown overboard. Jesus, Miller insists, throws this ideal off balance, and tells us to humble ourselves and treat others with the utmost respect. I have a sneaking suspicion that James would agree with this wholeheartedly.
In this part of his letter, James cautions us not to let seeds of envy or selfish ambition grow within our hearts. We were not made to compete or hate. Rather, we were created to be beings of love and peace, worshiping in unity the Magnificent One who created us.
This is something to drill into our heads, to come back to time and time again. As long as we forget who we are and what we're really made for, we need to be continually reminded of how we ought to live. May we turn over the lifeboat and seek true Wisdom! We are not saved by our own righteousness, but by the Life Himself.
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