James 3:16

Hello on this sunny Monday,
I hope you had a great weekend and especially yesterday celebrating Jesus. LeaAnn isn't feeling well, so keep her in your prayers please. Don't forget Amy and baby either. My weekend was a good one. We didn't do tons of work and our time at the prison was special, just like always.
There's a young man leaving on Aug. 2nd and as of yet he doesn't have a home to go to. Pray for him as he adjusts to living outside of an institution. He's such a wonderful man who loves the Lord. I'm going to miss his smiling face every month. His name is Brian. Thanks!
Today's blog is James 3:16: "For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice." When I read this portion, I thought about Nette and the people that are constantly giving her fits about stuff. Are they jealous of her and the success she has with her tumblers? The Lord uses her in so many ways in service; she's a real visionary. Jealousy can be so distructive, not just to the person that's jealous, but the target of that envy.
Do you have envy or selfish ambition in your life? On reflection I can't think of any for myself, but because I have a sinful nature, that's always a possibility. As I study scripture it tells me to apply what I learn so that these negative attributes don't take hold, or spring up in our lives.
When I see the word: Disorder, I think of chaos. God is a God of order, not chaos
(1 Corinthians 14:33). So, these negative things obviously are not from God, but from our sinful natures that war with rightousness. Verse 15 tells us that they are also from the devil (read verses 13-18 for the whole understanding of this passage). There are two kinds of wisdom, we need to choose which one we are going to manifest.
What I like best, is that the Lord helps us to live in a righteous manner. He doesn't just give us rules and walks away. He's with us, helping us to make right choices through His Holy Spirit who lives in us. Isn't He wonderful? Yes He is!

Walking with Him,
Sandy