Throwback July 10, 2018
James 4:1-3 “What is the cause of your conflicts and quarrels with each other? Doesn’t the battle begin inside of you as you fight to have your own way and fulfill your own desires?
2 You jealously want what others have so you begin to see yourself as better than others. You scheme with envy and harm others to selfishly obtain what you crave—that’s why you quarrel and fight. And all the time you don’t obtain what you want because you won’t ask God for it!
3 And if you ask, you won’t receive it for you’re asking with corrupt motives, seeking only to fulfill your own selfish desires.”
People fight, complain, and argue to protect their fear, lack of faith, insecurity, selfishness, and wrong motives. People think they are doing right, so they think what they argue or complain about is right, but as
proverbs 14:12 says, “There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death.”
When we fight, complain about each other, and argue with one another, we are heading toward destruction. Please don’t think when you are in such an argument that you can be fighting for what is right by blaming someone else.
Blaming other people for your problems is earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. When the first sin occurred, didn’t Adam blame his wife? Then Eve blamed the devil?
By blaming each other and the devil, Adam and Eve’s lives just worsened. Adam had to struggle for a living. For Eve, to bring forth life, whether for a child or life within her family, she would now bring forth through much labor pain.
If we understand the ways of God, you will bring forth your fruit through gentleness. At least you will consistently try. This is wisdom, and we all need to be asking for more wisdom rather than “your way.”
Pastor Steve Kim