“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.”

‭‭James‬ ‭3:14-16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This bit of wisdom comes from the Epistle of James, in a section titled “True Wisdom Comes From God”. James is referring to those who are critical of everything and try to stir up arguments to prove their own self-worth. They’re jealous, petty people, only concerned about how they appear to others, inflating their egos with lies and bragging.

As James points out, this is not something God’s going to be happy with! Rather than being Heaven-centered, these are traits of those who place more value in earthly possessions and status than what the Creator of the Universe thinks of them.

If the Holy Spirit truly dwells in you, it’s impossible for you to be jealous of what others have in terms of material possessions or social status. You realize that it makes no difference in the eternal scheme of things and that these things are Satan-inspired!

James reminds us to focus on the heavenly, not the earthly. The inward and earthly focus only results in disorder and evil.