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James 3:13-4:1-3; 7-8a Who is wise and understanding among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be boastful and false to the truth. Such wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish. For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace.Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from? Do they not come from your cravings that are at war within you? You want something and do not have it; so you commit murder. And you covet something and cannot obtain it; so you engage in disputes and conflicts. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures.Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.
Where are your roots? I'm not talking about where you were born and/or raised - where do you get what makes you, you? Sometimes our places of birth and our environment help shape us and those influences stay with us all of our lives; but those who belong to the Lord find in Him new roots and new, positive, strong influences that help shape our lives for the better. Look at what the writer is sharing as good versus bad qualities: wisdom, and understanding, gentleness in our work - these are from being rooted in Christ. But if we live a life with bitter envy and selfish ambition in our hearts, being boastful and false to the truth - these come from earthly, unspiritual, unchanged devilish roots. Nothing good comes from trusting other humans, but if we trust God, we get wisdom that is pure, peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, full of mercy and good fruits - a great and wonderful harvest of righteousness for peace from those who work for peace.
What are the symptoms around you in your setting? Is there anger and discord, arguing all the time? Could these be rooted in your desires for things you should not have? Why not submit to God and reap the harvest of goodness from Him? The devil is always tempting us and trying to trip us up; the writer says for us to resist him and he will flee from us. And here's the key verse for us today: Draw near to God, and God will draw near to us.
PRAYER: Come every closer, loving God, as I draw near to You. Put to death in me the things that should not be in me; fill me with You and Your purity,wisdom, and love. May I amaze others by loving them in a new way; this I pray in Christ Jesus my Lord, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
Eradio Valverde
