– Today’s Community Scripture – 1/30/2026

                                                                  Live Well, Live Wisely
13–16  Do you want to be counted wise, to build a reputation for wisdom? Here’s what you do: Live well, live wisely, live humbly. It’s the way you live, not the way you talk, that counts. Mean-spirited ambition isn’t wisdom. Boasting that you are wise isn’t wisdom. Twisting the truth to make yourselves sound wise isn’t wisdom. It’s the furthest thing from wisdom—it’s animal cunning, devilish conniving. Whenever you’re trying to look better than others or get the better of others, things fall apart and everyone ends up at the others’ throats.
17–18  Real wisdom, God’s wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced. You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoys its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor.

                      James 3:13-18 (MSG)

– Reflection:

Life today is filled with pitfalls and tripwires we place on our own path. Yes, we do it. GOD doesn’t. GOD wants us to repent and join him in making the world better, but free will and the human condition say otherwise. Our own selfish abilities and daily accomplishments fight against the humble nature we were meant to live. I mean, how much is enough when you have enough for 4 generations to live very well? Even after you are gone, what happens to those who are left with what was left behind? I’ll tell you they begin to do things that try to add to the fortune instead of reaching back and helping someone else who could definitely benefit from it. GOD knows what having a lot is and what it will do to us and our souls. People will do almost anything right now for money and wealth. Even things they think are attached to it.

Our own accomplishments, abilities, and ambitions can quietly work against the humble life we were created to live. As James teaches us, wisdom is not loud or self-promoting. It shows up in how we live, how we treat others, and how willing we are to lay down our need to be seen as important. We must ask ourselves difficult questions: How much is enough? When one person has enough wealth to sustain four generations comfortably, what responsibility comes with that abundance? Too often, what is left behind becomes a challenge rather than a blessing. Instead of reaching back to help others rise, people become consumed with preserving, protecting, or adding to what they already have.

God understands what abundance can do to the human heart. Scripture consistently reminds us that wealth itself is not the problem; our attachment to it is. When money and influence become our source of security, identity, or power, wisdom begins to erode. People start to compromise values, relationships, and even truth to protect or increase what they believe defines them. This is not God’s wisdom. Real wisdom produces humility, generosity, peace, and concern for the well-being of others. It frees us from the need to compete and invites us into a life that measures success by faithfulness, not accumulation.

– Where do we go from here? (Next Steps)

So where do we go from here? We start by examining our hearts with honesty and courage. We ask God to reveal where ambition has replaced obedience, where pride has overshadowed humility, and where comfort has numbed compassion. Next, we make intentional choices to live wisely, choosing generosity over greed, integrity over image, and service over status. Practically, this may look like sharing resources, mentoring someone who needs guidance, choosing reconciliation instead of competition, or simply slowing down long enough to see the needs around us. True wisdom requires effort. It requires the hard work of getting along with others, treating people with dignity, and choosing God’s way even when the world celebrates another. If we commit to living this way, we don’t just change ourselves; we help cultivate healthier families, stronger communities, and a world that more clearly reflects the heart of God.

– Our Prayer for Today

Father, teach us to live well, not just in our words but in our actions. Let Your wisdom take root deep within our spirits, shaping how we think, respond, and serve. Help us be gentle where the world is harsh, generous where the world is greedy, and faithful where the world is unstable. May our lives reflect Your goodness, and may the wisdom You give us bring healing, unity, and peace wherever we go. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

– Subscribe

Hey family, if today’s message spoke to you, don’t let it stop there. I share reflections like this daily, and if you’d like them sent straight to your inbox, sign up. Head over to the homepage, take 30 seconds, and drop your email. That way, you won’t miss a word that could shift your day or speak to your situation.

– Let’s grow together

– one post, one prayer, one step at a time.
https://community.focuseddevelopment.com/

Let Your Spirit guide our decisions, our conversations, and our actions. When challenges come, remind us that You are our strength. When we feel weak, remind us that steel is forged in fire, and You are shaping us for something greater. Let today be a day where we grow, serve, and reflect Your love in everything we do. In Jesus’ name, Amen.