Wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there is disorder and everything that is evil.
Reflection
I love the book of James. James is very straightforward about how we are to live our lives. It doesn’t make it easier, but it does give us good instruction. Our passage today had me struggling to give good examples because I am feeling like this is a no brainer. The state of our world feels like this is where we are. Those in power seem to be in power only for power. Corporations are creating more billionaires than ever before, and workers seem to be struggling with some basic benefits. It seems that things are in disorder in our world. That is the broader sense of this scripture, but what if we look at our own lives and how we live everyday within the context of this scripture?
I love my job – I have been working for almost 40 years as a physical therapist. I work with families in their homes with their newborns up to 3-year-old children. Some days it can be so rewarding. Other days it can be very disheartening.
I can get annoyed when people don’t follow through on things with their children because I know I am giving them good advice and the correct activities to help, but have I thought about what they are going through? Their child’s development may not be a pressing matter for them. They may be worried about feeding their family, another child or family member who has an illness, paying the rent or mortgage, relationship issues, and the list can go on and on.
Goals for the children I work with include being able to sit by themselves, moving on hands and knees, and walking. Do I sometimes get caught up in the fact that a parent says they want their child to walk but from week to week seems to be doing very little to make that goal happen? Do I take that personally that a child is not making the progress I think they should be making? Sometimes I do. Is that selfish ambition on my part? Is there jealousy about a family seeming to “like” another therapist more than they like me, so they do those activities instead of the ones I requested they do? Can it go the other way, when I think oh, I am doing such a great job with this family and the other therapist is not because the child is not making as much progress in that other area? These things all happen in the course of seeing families day to day. Is it that simple that one therapist is more liked than the other/or has better techniques? Of course not – there are so many factors that influence what a child does – those listed above with families and then also with the child – personality, motivation, strength, neurological issues, nutrition, and on and on. My job is to help families in the best way I can.
Am I human? Yes. Do I make mistakes? Yes. Do I sometimes want to be the “best” therapist a family has? Of course, but just being the best therapist for the sake of being the best is not helpful in any way, shape, or form. That does lead to disorder – people will not trust a person who just wants to be the best. Families recognize that and they would prefer not to have you at all, so in the end you aren’t helping anyone.
We need to examine our lives and not just feel that this verse is for “corporate types” who want to take over the world. As I said, James is a book for all of us to use to show us how we should be living.
by Janet Waryck
For Pondering and Prayer
What part of our lives do we sometimes display jealousy and selfish ambition? What are we doing to remedy that? I try to pray before going into more difficult situations, but I should pray prior to arriving at every visit – for guidance, wisdom, kindness, and humility.
Prayer: Dear God, help us to remember that we can get carried away with ourselves and our abilities at times. Help us to look to you for wisdom and humility that we may do your will and be humble servants for you and those around us in our daily work. Amen.
