James is not the book to read if you want to feel complacent about yourself. He doesn't mince any words about selfish ambition and bitter jealousy. In our day when narcissism has risen to new heights, we need to be reminded that these things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic, because it's the heart of "You will be like God". It's easy to point the finger elsewhere, but we're all infected by this disease of me, myself, and I. Even if your pond is the size of a bathtub, you want to be the big fish. And we see it every day - little girls manipulating and vying to be queen bee of their play group, the self promotion of politics and entertainment, the petty power plays that tear down the church, even wanting recognition for writing such an insightful blog post. So what is the antidote? The wisdom of the world is all about personal advancement, but the Gospel frees us from wanting to build our own kingdoms to pursue the kingdom of God. We are given wisdom...