James 4:1-6
“What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.””
James 4:1-6 NIV
Our human nature loves to be in competition and fight, but God has a higher call for us. James takes us directly to the root cause of fights and quarrels, wars and conflict, they all come from one source, and that is the conflict that resides in our own hearts.
Our desires are at war with the precepts of our Lord and the call He gives us. This is the war of good and evil of man versus God, of our sinful nature and that of the new life in Christ. These desires converge and conflict with the desires of other people and escalate into interpersonal conflict and all out war.
We lust after what we do not have, so it controls us, that which is wrong becomes our passion and quest. Then we become jealous of others, hording what we have and coveting what they have. We engage in fighting like wild dogs and tear at one another in conquest of the demented goals we have.
In all of this, we ignore God and forsake His call and wisdom. When we do ask of Him, our motives are skewed and our passions misdirected, as we seek personal pleasures and the self, not Christ and His mission for us.
James tells us out right that our desires which are contrary to God's desires are adultery, we are cheating on Him with the mistress of our notions and evil plans. We become enemies of the very God who created us and loves us and is holding a perfect plan for us which we forsake for futility. God wants us to be His friends, not His enemies, but the choice is ours to determine, and the path is ours to undertake.
To resist worldly desires and draw near to God, we must humble ourselves before Him. This humility involves acknowledging our own weaknesses and dependance upon God for strength and guidance. We can draw closer to God and find the strength to overcome worldly desires by resisting the temptations of the world and submitting ourselves to Him in humility.
Furthermore, we can resist worldly desires by seeking God’s wisdom and guidance through prayer and study of His Word. We can find clarity and strength to overcome the temptations of the world by aligning our thoughts and actions with God’s Will.
Drawing near to God involves a daily commitment to seeking His presence and guidance in all areas of our lives. We must recognize the importance of cultivating a heart of repentance in our pursuit to resist worldly desires and draw near to God. We can experience a deeper relationship with God and find the strength to overcome the temptations of the world by acknowledging our sins and seeking forgiveness.
Through repentance and reliance on God’s grace, we can draw near to Him and experience true transformation in our hearts and lives. In times of conflict, choose prayer over worldly distractions. Humble yourself before God to find peace and resist negativity.
Embrace God’s guidance for harmonious relationships. If we’re going to be people that live for God, we’ve got to determine to not let pride run our lives. Instead, we should humble ourselves and let God lead in our life. We have to submit our desires and plans to God and the Bible, and let Him lead!!!
Father, thank You for this day and the breath of life that we have in Your Word. Let the windows of heaven shine Your abundant blessings over my friend and family today. Lord, we praise Your Glorious Name for the great grace that You show to us every day of our lives. Lord, we pray that we would heed Your serious warnings against prideful boastings and not yield to any ungodly ways, but rather may we come to You on bended knee with a broken and contrite heart. Lord, use us today to be a light unto Your path for others to follow today. Be a blessing.
Father, we love You. Amen !
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