James 3:16

For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.

     One night I went to a free exhibition put on by a professional basketball team. They did some drills and then scrimmaged and some fans were able to just come and watch them at no charge. It was very enjoyable until the end. The players started throwing things into the stands for fans: the pullover jerseys, towels, and their autographed shoes that they had worn that night. As they through a shoe into the audience a very elderly lady was estatic to find that it landed right in her hands.

     As she started to get excited, all of the sudden a middle age woman reached over and grabbed it out of her hands. She pulled so hard that she broke fingernails and blood vessels in the elderly womans hands. While the elderly woman was excited, she decided it was not worth all of that pain. Those who saw the whole thing play out stood with jaws agape. They could not believe that she would do that. It was something you would expect from little children when their parents were not looking, not from a middle aged woman.

     It is amazing the depths  we will sink in order to get what we want. What the woman did was appalling both for what she did, but also because it was so public and she showed no penitance. Yet we can be just as selfish in our actions and attitudes. We can manipulate people, lie to them, steal from them and use them to fulfill what we want. Yet we justify it because no one noticed. That is not right. We need to be completely honest with ourselves and make sure that when we act, we act righteously with love towards our neighbors.

For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.