PUFFING ONESELF UP

If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying. For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind. But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness. —James 3:13-18

Here is a good portion of God’s Word to help us understand the motivation for which we do things. This also helps us understand why others do what they do. Are we serving with humility or from a bitter jealousy, selfish ambition and covering up the truth with boasting and lying? Wow! This is very clear… is it not? God’s Word tells us that these character traits “are earthly, unspiritual and demonic.” A person can be saying they believe in God all they want but if this is how they are acting then it is satanic and not godly.

I find it very interesting that those who are bitterly jealous and have selfish ambition also have a tendency to cover these up by boasting and lying. Boasting is to puff oneself up to look bigger or more important than what they are. Lying, well that speaks clearly of not being honest or not telling the truth. Clearly we can see how this would be “are earthly, unspiritual and demonic” and not from God.

What came right to mind this morning was President Obama, who claims to be a Christian, said this— https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUiB-2n2vPM. What kind of person would say this to an organization that systematically murders children? There is only one answer— satanically motivated (II Timothy 2:25-26).

Dear Father, we pray for President Obama. He claims to know You, but by his actions he denies You. Be please to speak to his heart that he would do what is right in Your sight. That is what is most important. May it be so in the authority of Jesus and by the Holy Spirit’s power.