Our scripture this morning is James 3:13-15.
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.
James continues his lesson on demonstrating God’s love through how we live our lives. The Filament Study Bible says “Only in humility can we receive God’s true word.” This also applies to sharing God’s word. James focuses on Christian wisdom in action, not just words.
Do our lives reflect what God has taught us? Earthly “wisdom”, marked by envy and strife is always inferior to God’s wisdom. It celebrates “our” knowledge and skill, rather than the gift from God that allows us to come to Him.
Godly wisdom in us is humble, sharing with love and giving the glory to Him, not ourselves. James says the way to eternal life is by “doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom.” This combination of faith and works is essential to living the life Christ has taught us.
Gracious God, You have given us a wonderful world and the wisdom to live in it well. Help us to act wisely and lovingly toward our brothers and sisters and all that You have created for us. Amen.
