June 30
Earthly Wisdom
is Disorderly
James 3:14-16
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 earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
Daily Steps
The opposite of divine peace is chaos, which is rooted in a false form of wisdom. This passage provides the new believer with a clear warning: earthly wisdom is disorderly because its core motivations are selfish.
The peace in this warning is found in self-examination:
The Flawed Foundation: The "wisdom" that leads to chaos is defined by two selfish roots: "bitter envy" (resentment over another's success) and "selfish ambition" (self-centered striving for status or power). When these motivations drive your decisions, the "wisdom" is immediately labeled as earthly, unspiritual, [and] demonic.
The Guaranteed Result: The outcome of this selfish "wisdom" is always the same: "disorder and every evil practice." Whether in the Church (unity destroyed, Day 161) or in personal life (financial chaos, Day 149), the pursuit of self-interest guarantees the loss of peace and the introduction of turmoil.
The Path to Peace: To find true peace, you must ruthlessly eliminate the envy and selfish ambition in your heart. You must choose humility (Day 172) and focus on the purity and peace-loving nature of heavenly wisdom (Day 180). This commitment to selfless motivation is the true source of order and tranquility.
Your peace in the unseen world is secured by spiritual purity. Reject the selfish motivations of earthly wisdom to escape disorder and embrace the tranquil order of God's design.
Reflective Question
In which area of your life (e.g., job, social media, a relationship) are you currently experiencing disorder? Can you trace the root of that chaos back to an act of bitter envy or selfish ambition in your heart?
Prayer
Heavenly Father, I confess my weakness in harboring bitter envy and selfish ambition, which leads to disorder in my life. I pray for the strength to reject this earthly, unspiritual, demonic wisdom. Purify my heart today, removing all selfish roots so that I may receive Your heavenly wisdom and live in the profound tranquility of Your perfect order. Amen.
