Let God's wisdom rule our hearts

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. James 3:13-16 NLT

James, from the text, started by raising a principle that provides the basis why living the life God gave those who trusted Him as Lord and Savior is very important. Christian faith is demonstrated by our actions that honors the presence and working of God in our lives. Our commendable actions and behaviors are manifestations of godly wisdom. Deeds done in humility come from God. This is why the Lord Jesus Christ wants us to come to Him and lean on Him. “Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:29). When we take upon ourselves the role of sharing and teaching others biblical principles and we are doing it for the wrong reasons, then it is not coming from godly wisdom. This is why James says, “there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying” (James 3:14), and he went on and said that this is coming from “selfishness” and “are not God’s kind of wisdom” (v. 15a): the sources of such selfish ambition “are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic” (15b). This false wisdom has this world as its boundaries, does not consider eternity, and guided by worldly perspectives. Then James adds that this false wisdom does not come from God and tells us that it is of the devil. We might deny that we do not allow the devil to have such hold over us but we do not realize it until we see the results of what we are doing. Listen to how James describes the results of the deception of unspiritual wisdom: “you will find disorder and evil of every kind” (v. 16). Earthly wisdom rejects God and His message in the gospel. “The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction!” (1 Corinthians 1:18). It is a terrible thing to be driven along by false wisdom! Earthly wisdom will lead to emptiness but godly wisdom will endure forever for it leads to salvation; “Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:14).

Blessings,