Be Still And Know

James 3:17 I wonder what sort of person you would most like to be. I suspect many of us would love to look something like James’ description here of a wise person. He has spent the last few verses talking about those destructive attitudes which can so easily ruin life - jealousy, selfish ambition, boasting and lying. One senses that he is speaking from personal experience; that he has witnessed the pain and suffering that flow from people whose lives are dominated by selfishness. But it doesn’t have to be that way. If we allow God’s wisdom to shape our lives, everything can look very different, for his wisdom is pure, without anything to spoil it. James was clearly concerned about the false teachers who were continually stirring up disputes and tension. Wise people are quite different. They love peace, and spend their time promoting it because they know it is the only environment in which people grow. While there is aggravation and unhappiness, people become wearied and discouraged. A wise person know