If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying. For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind. James 3:13-16

A man is not proven by what he knows, or even what he says. The evidence of a man is in his actions. The Bible is clear that doing makes the difference and James, the brother of Jesus, is a champion of that cause. As a brother of Jesus, James had a front row seat to the goodness of God's Son. And now, James exhorts his readers to prove their understanding of God's way by living it out.

We like to test things in many areas of life. From the sporting field to the job site, proof comes only through action. In our spiritual lives, this is no different. Look at the two ways that James measures evidence in this passage. The first way is through an honorable life. It is living a life that others, not you, would commend your actions as being filled with honor. The next measurement is humility. Humility is an estimation word, meaning a low comparison of yourself to those around you. When you put these two ideas together, you see the formula for proof. A proven man demonstrates an understanding of God, measured by the feedback of others. This man humbly does what is right.

DO THIS TODAY: Do good works in humility.