Two Extremes

TODAY'S READING: James 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

SCRIPTURE: James 3:14-18 (emphasis added)
¹⁴ But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. ¹⁵ Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. ¹⁶ For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

¹⁷ But 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. ¹⁸ Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.

OBSERVATIONS: Two kinds of wisdom are being contrasted here, one is earthly and the other is from heaven. The contrast is interesting but what caught my attention more than the contrast was the typical responses we humans have to earthly wisdom. Verse 14 says we tend to either boast about it or deny it. These are about as opposite as you can get. First of all, I don't think we often see the evil motivations behind "earthly wisdom". James says the motivations are typically envy or selfish ambition. Envy motivates us to do whatever we have to do to get the same stuff that we see others have or to do nothing and simply resent those that have it, feeling that we are "owed" the same things. Selfish ambition really motivates every other response we have in life. It is wanting what we want, when we want it without thought to anyone's well-being but our own. And James says we should neither boast about this type of wisdom nor deny that it is in us. We seem to have no "middle ground" response. We either brag about our own accomplishments and whatever "wisdom" we have or we deny that we have any negative motivations in our life. If we live in denial then we don't have to deal with any of the sin in ourselves. All the blame is focused outward to others or to bad luck and difficult circumstances that we have no power over. We then have no responsibility to change.

APPLICATION: I have to watch myself and catch my thoughts and examine them in the light of these scriptures. If I find myself taking credit for and being boastful about any of the good in my life or, conversely, if I find myself denying any personal responsibility for sin in my life, I can be assured that I have started to engage in earthly wisdom. I need to be aware of and on the lookout for these two extremes. They are warning flags that I need to watch for so that I will keep on the path of pursuing heavenly wisdom.

PRAYER: Father, how prone I am to extremes! Help me to maintain balance in my life and to appropriate your wisdom in all things. I neither want to be in denial about my sins and personal failings nor do I want to be arrogant and take credit for the good things in my life. You are the one who works good into me as I submit to you. Thank you for your grace that allows the Spirit to transform me from one degree of glory to the next. Continue that good work in me, Lord. In Jesus' Name, Amen.