Who is wise and has understanding among you? He should show his works by good conduct with wisdom’s gentleness. But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your heart, don’t brag and deny the truth. Such wisdom does not come from about, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where envy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every kind of evil. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, without favoritism and hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who cultivate peace.
James 3:13-18 HCSB

We all want to be considered wise, right?  The problem is that if we consider ourselves to be so wise that we lose our humility, we tend to get ourselves into trouble.  When we become proud of ourselves and what we can do, we forget who gives us strength, power, and wisdom.  We also tend to forget who can take it all away.

The problem that occurs is when two or more people who consider themselves wise are at odds with each other.  We even see this in churches.  We see power struggles because others think they know better than anybody else what is good for “their church”.  The problem is it’s God’s church and we must consult Him and use His wisdom.  Our scripture passage today issues that warning, “but if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambitions…”.  When we harbor bitterness, resentment, and anger, we have a problem.  Our scripture passage says that if we harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition that we should not boast about it nor deny it. It describes this type of behavior as earthly, unspiritual, and even demonic. Instead, we need to humble ourselves and submit to the Lord.

If you consider yourself wise, think about where it comes from.   If your wisdom is the good kind then surely it comes from heaven.  The Bible tells us that every good and perfect gift is from above (James 1:17).  So, is there a bad type of wisdom? Well, perhaps not.  Perhaps there are just those who consider themselves wise, but are actually foolish.  We all know someone like this, right?  So how do we know which is true Godly wisdom and which is someone tricked by the devil into thinking he is wise, well this verse tells us plainly.

True Godly wisdom that comes from above allows us to live a good life and do good deeds in humility.  However, wisdom or thinking that we are wise and superior to others comes from the devil.  It breeds envy, resentment, and selfish ambition.

Now the real kicker is the end result.  You see those people you know who consider themselves wise.  They boast in their wisdom, they harbor bitterness, envy, and push forward with selfish ambition.  If you observe these people closely, you will see that most of them are plagued with turmoil.  But if you look at the life of someone who has Godly wisdom, you will see peace.

Matthew 5:9 says, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”  Our scripture passage tells us that peacemakers who sow in peace will reap a harvest of righteousness.

So are you wise?  If so, do you have demonic wisdom or Godly wisdom?  You see the devil loves to deceive us.  He will try to convince us that we are wiser than anyone else and that what we want is more important that anyone else.  Once he can convince us of that, then he can convince us to do his bidding.  This is where the bitter envy and selfish ambition come in. Once we open that doorway, he will step right on in.

So today, search your heart.  Ask God to lead you.  Ask God to give you Godly wisdom with a heart of forgiveness, peace, and humility.  It’s not too late.

Have a great day!