James 3:13-18 - Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

I think we've all sat in churches where one person is clearly in love with the sound of their own voice. They sing louder than anyone else; they pray 30-minute prayers in public, while the potluck gets cold; they always have something to say at any meeting, even when they don't know anything about the topic. Such a person has a problem with pride and wanting to be first. James warns us about that kind of attitude, because it causes disorder in the church. Other people get angry and frustrated, and may express those feelings. Pretty soon there are factions and fighting.

I think we've all seen the opposite of that too—the person who sings, yes, but makes sure their voice is supporting all the other voices around them; the man who is quick to praise another leader in the church, the woman who gladly nominates someone else for an honorable position. These are the folks who speak up when their voices are needed, but not otherwise; and they listen when others aren't sure or have questions. They replace the toilet paper in the church lavatory, and they find the mop when someone spills coffee. Without them, the church couldn't function. They build up everyone else.

So which one are we going to be? Without the help of God, it's always going to be the first person, because that's what our natural sinful desires push us to be—someone seeking their own benefit. But if we allow the Holy Spirit to do His work in our hearts, we can became like the second group of people—humble, loving, quick to praise, slow to complain, always thinking of ways to build up the church in love. People like that are walking in the footsteps of Jesus, who laid aside His own glory and came "not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many" (Matthew 20:28b).

This is love—not that we love God, but that He loved us, so much that He lay down His life for us. And with the help of our resurrected Savior, we too can lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters—loving them, putting them and their welfare first, and being happy when anything good comes to them. May God help us with this!

WE PRAY: Dear Lord, live in me and help me to love my brothers and sisters! Amen.

This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo.

Reflection Questions:

1. Who do you know that cares for and builds up other people in your church?

2. What kinds of things do they do? Be as specific as you can.

3. What drives a person to do quiet acts of care behind the scenes?

Today's Bible Readings: Isaiah 20-22    Ephesians 5:1-16

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