Wednesdays in the Word

Oh, the practicality of the book of James! Gotta love it!

Here's the verses that stop me dead in my tracks every time I read them in James:
"But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. For where envy and self-seeking exist,
confusion and every evil thing are there." James 3:16

Have you ever experienced the feeling that confusion is reigning supreme and every evil thing has been let loose to wreck havoc in your home life? I have and it is awful.
And what makes it even worse is knowing you opened up that Pandora's box by being envious and or self-seeking...

I love what Beth Moore says about her "self stuff" as she calls it, in her book: Jesus the One and Only.
 "I ask God to help me address any active 'self stuff' and nail it to the cross. I literally name anything He brings to mind and look it straight in the face..." And she lists these examples:
"self exaltation,
self protection,
self righteousness,
self will,
self loathing,
self serving,
self promotion,
self indulgence,
self absorption,
self delusion,
self pity,
self sufficiency"

-Wow and ouch!

"The wisdom that comes from above" combats envy and self seeking!
And it makes a great prayer:
'Lord, make us "pure, peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy." ' James 3:17

May He give us all the victory over our 'self stuff' in Jesus' name.

~Becky