For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

According to James, in chapter three of his letter, there are two kinds of wisdom. There’s the wisdom that comes down from heaven above (James 3:17). People that have this kind of wisdom show it by leading godly lives, by doing good deeds in humility. There’s also the wisdom that is “earthly, unspiritual, and demonic,” (James 3:15). James implies earthly wisdom is not wise at all, because people that have this kind of “wisdom” tend to be bitterly envious and selfishly ambitious.

A person full of envy desires the success, possessions, advantages, or professional position of someone else. A person full of “bitter” envy is also intensely antagonistic and hostile toward the envied person, resenting his success and achievements.

People that are bitterly envious often couple their envy with selfish ambition. There’s nothing wrong with ambition, but the selfishly ambitious try to improve their own lots at the expense of others. This is especially dangerous in the church.

People that are bitterly envious and selfishly ambitious are not showing the wisdom that comes from above, are not doing good deeds in humility. Instead, they are the cause of much disorder and evil practice. The disorder comes from their attempts to upset the order of authority. The evil practices come from their use of gossip, slander, lies, and the like in order to achieve their selfish ends.

Those who have been gifted with heavenly wisdom, in contrast, are “first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere,” (James 3:17). They don’t envy the people around them, and they respect the proper order of authority. They don’t use evil practices for selfish purposes.

The bitterly envious and selfishly ambitious people are deeply unhappy, because they intensely want what they do not have and should not have. The truly wise, however, are peacemakers that sow peace and “reap a harvest of righteousness,” (James 3:18).

By John Huisman, friend of Bible League International