James 3:13-17

"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."

James 3:13-17 (ESV)

"All aboard! Greetings everyone. Fasten your seat belt and prepare for todays tour. As you all know, you have purchased tickets for the "Tale of Two Cities" Tour. We expect a very bumpy ride to begin with and some possible bad weather but as soon as we enter our second destination the ride will be smooth sailing, and ladies and gentlemen, that's guaranteed!"
"We are entering our first city, folks. Please hold on to the handles and watch out for anything unexpected. Now, if you look off to our left you will see two of the towns biggest celebrities! They live in that mansion up on that hill. The gossip on the street is they are filing for divorce after just six months of marriage. And now, If you look off to our right you will see the city's largest shopping mall. It is one of twenty malls here. Eighty percent of the community faithfully spend their Sunday mornings---WOAH THERE! Sorry for that swerve guys. Many of the residence here think they are above the traffic laws. On that note, I believe we are going to take a short cut to our next destination, it's getting pretty crazy here.
"Ah, that's better. Close your eyes and enjoy the birds singing, the waterfalls flowing, and the smell of the flower fields. Now, if you look to our right, you can see a group of children discussing the lovely characteristics of their mothers. Isn't that sweet? If you direct your attention to the left you can see The School of Virtue. Some of the classes offered there cover things like mercy, joy, patience, and so on. Oh hello, Bill! It's good to see ya again! Sorry about  that folks. People are so friendly here. Now as we leave, don't hesitate to turn around and drink in the last bit of beauty here. Sure is a pleasant place isn't it?"
Okay, now, back to reality. Often this section of Scripture is described as the tale of two cities. The text starkly contrasts two types of lifestyles represented by a variety of adjectives. The first is a life of selfish ambition, tainted with jealousy and lies. The other is full of reverent wisdom of the Father. My story above was meant to describe what "the tale of two cities" could possibly look like. What the consequences of earthly, unspiritual, and demonic actions can lead to. And on the other hand, what an atmosphere full of purity, peace, gentleness, reason, and mercy can create.
Obviously, our world is somewhere between the two extremes. Even those of us who strive daily to produce the characteristics of the second city, have fleshly moments of selfish ambition. This is such an easy attitude to get wrapped up in, especially when living in America. We are told that money, status, and earthly possessions are what make us successful. We will do almost anything to get to the top.
This section of verses is such a good reminder to me. I recently graduated with a Bachelors degree in Healthcare Administration. My goal is to learn how to run hospitals in America so one day I can open a hospital in a needy area outside of the country. If this ends up being God's will for me, I must remember to keep my reverent wisdom towards Him and not allow myself to get caught up in the money and status that comes along with this job. I need to constantly keep in mind that everything good comes from Him and it's not of my doing. I want to be a joyful resident of the second city and not a empty member of the first.

Personal Application
Today, before I go to bed, I'm going to make a list of two instances during the day that I made myself a residence of the second city and two instances that I made myself a resident of the first. I will then reflect and pray about my results.