If You Have It

James 3 cont’d:

But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.

Yesterday’s verses talked of wisdom, gentle wisdom.  Today’s verses talk of the opposite – jealousy, bitter jealousy.

Have you ever been jealous?  It’s not fun, is it? You become dissatisfied with the way you look or what you don’t have, and you look at others and want what they have. We’ve all done it.  Perhaps, we do it daily.

However, what is “bitter” jealousy?  I think it’s jealousy that has been allowed to run rampant in our hearts until we become bitter and begin to hate the person we’re jealous of, and we begin to imagine their ruin, and quite delight in that imagination.

Jealousy is rooted in selfishness, arrogance, and lies.  And it’s not a good way to live, thinking only of what we want, how we must have it, and that we can’t live without it – whatever “it” is.  In fact, jealousy leads to what?

“…disorder and every evil thing.”

If we are to even begin to tame our tongues, walk in gentleness of wisdom, and not stumble along the way, we must get rid of jealousy.

Jealousy pops out from the bushes along our paths daily, like a buzzing bee ready to sting. But as long as we keep our focus forward, wipe the stinger out quickly (should we get stung,) and stay away from where the entire hive swarms, we can continue to move forward towards wisdom…sweet gentle wisdom…from above.