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Wise in Christ

James 3:13-17
“Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthy, unspiritual, demonic. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is fist of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.”

James is one of my favorite books of the Bible. In fact, I have almost all of these verses underlined and as I sit here and pray about what to write, the question that comes to mind is how does one inherit wisdom from God? For one, by asking, but also, by reading and studying His Word. When I apply the knowledge from what I have studied to my life, I become wise in Christ. The verse that speaks to me the most when I read this chapter is, “For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.” We cannot inherit wisdom if we do not let go of the things that keep us from growing closer to the Lord. I am by far guilty of holding jealousy in my heart and being selfish in almost every aspect of my life. These hidden, yet very noticeable characteristics, are hindering the plan the Lord has for my life because as James says in chapter three verse eleven, “Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?" How can the Holy Spirit penetrate my heart if I continue to harbor these things deep inside? As week three is upon us, already there have been so many breakthroughs in my life that the Lord has shown me. It has been a daily prayer for Him to bring the things I struggle with to surface and almost every day, something new arises. It first amazes me just how much I have buried inside, and then I am amazed at how absolutely horrifying my flesh is. However, even with the Lord revealing these things, I do not feel as though anything is changing. I still feel angry, I still feel bitter, I still feel confused, but at the end of the day, these are still just feelings. In all reality, I need to ask the Lord to put my feelings aside and show me the truth because feelings are temporary but His truth is eternal. Through His truth and applying it to my life, I will become wise in Christ. 

Application
Every day this week, I will serve someone in my house selflessly and do it for the Glory of God. 

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