It’s simple ….
CONFLICTS originate IN THE HEART
I LOVE the whole book of James! It is FULL of practical truths that are to be lived out. It THE first book of the Bible that I ever went through verse by verse in Sunday school.
A Titus 2 woman gathered a bunch of us high school gals and walked us through James and I … WAS … IN … LOVE!
Since then I’ve become particularly fond of chapter 4. Listen to the questions that James asks to start us out …
What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members?
New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (Jas 4:1). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
What Is the Source?
James simply asks us … what’s the source of our quarrels, conflicts, fights … and then proceeds to answer his question with a question. Sometimes I really don’t like when I ask a question and my husband answers it with a question. BUT .. here it works really well 🙂
The Source
The source of our quarrels and conflicts are the ‘pleasures that wage war’ inside of us. Inside of us is our heart.
The pursuit of our passions lead to quarrels because when I’m pursuing what I am passionate about I am only focused on that which I am passion about and I will not stop until I get it. No one will get in the way of what I want.
As a Pastor from Faith Baptist Church in Lafayette, Indiana puts it ~ “WE DO WHAT WE DO BECAUSE WE WANT WHAT WE WANT!”
Good Passion Gone Bad
There are some passions, or we could say ‘desires’ here, we have that are good passions or desires. Things like … desiring to be a good wife or a good parent … or a good student of the Word … or desiring to have a clean house … well, the list could go on and on.
But a desire can go bad when we start to demand it and think we MUST have it or else we can’t live! This is when we can get in to fights and conflicts with one another ~ because .. remember, if you get in my way of want I desire or think I can’t live without I will let you know! And it’s usually not in a very nice way! Am I right?
Oh .. there is so much more that could and can be unpacked in this verse and the verses that follow in James 4 … BUT … I think I will just leave it there …
WE DO WHAT WE DO BECAUSE WE WANT WHAT WE WANT
What will you choose to do with the good things you desire? Will you get angry if someone stands in your way of getting it? Will you choose with me to humbly surrender your desires to Him and fully depend on Him today?
For those who are reading these . . . I am truly grateful!
Blessings Sweet Sisters,
