Our last reading ended with a warning about earthly wisdom, which reveals itself through bitter envy and selfish ambition. James begins today’s section by explaining that fighting, warring, and quarrels arise from the passions that wage war within us. In other words, people fight because they want what they want and won’t humble themselves before the Lord. Those who refuse to submit to God should repent, be mournful, and despair because God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. James says that it is arrogant even to confidently assert that you know what tomorrow will hold. Instead, James says that our conversations should be peppered with reminders that God is control of our days.