Corona Devo 1982

Have we ever stopped to think about where our troubles originate?  

We don't have a disgruntled attitude because of the deep joy in our heart.  And we don't have split relationships and broken families because we have loved others too well.

Our negative issues and sparring situations have (just about) everything to do with...us.

Let's stop and think about where our troubles originate.  

What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? 

(2) You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. 

Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. (3) And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.  ~James 4:1-3

Ouch!  These are direct accusations...and (Be honest!) they are merited in some areas of our lives and our hearts, aren't they?

What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you?  ~James 4:1

Why do we nit-pick and quarrel with others?  

If we get honest with ourselves...the root of many of our quarrels and fights grow down deeper than we let on.  Some thing, or some jealousy, or some evil (not of the Lord) desire is at war within us...and so we lash out at those (people/institutions) that we have "issue" with.  Our discontent may be out of distaste, jealousy, competition, lust, power, or any number of things.  But because it has rubbed us the wrong way, we are stirred up to quarrel and fight.

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You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them.  ~James 4:2

Yikes, this is an ugly assessment, but does it detail us?  And if it does, then we have to ask ourselves how we got here: to this place of quarrelling and fighting, and to this point of scheming to get what we want.  

And have we learned yet that these (malicious) tactics do not produce fruit?  The angry/mean/demoralizing manager never has a willing team of employees lining up behind them.  The pompous person is never satisfied.  The self-focused single will never find a caring mate.

All of these things: (all of it), stems from a heart issue.  

Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. (3) And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.  ~James 4:3

It's tough medicine to swallow.  But we just might need this dose of God's Word in order to make our spirit well.

These words about me-focus from the Book of James seem like a recipe for disaster, or at-best: a recipe for dissatisfaction.  But what if we reversed the spell?  

What would happen if instead of living this (negative/empty/pessimistic/ and problematic) way that James outlines...what if we lived and loved and learned-from God's Word to live the opposite way.

If James 4:1-3 is what not to do--What if we flipped these verses around and (instead) did what God wants us to do?

What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you?  ~James 4:1

Father, mute and muffle the evil desires at war within us.  Highlight and develop the Godly desires within us.  Make our hearts and intentions more like you, Lord, and then we will delight as the quarrels and fights among us melt away.  Amen.

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What if we flipped this script?

You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them.  ~James 4:2

Lord, help us to live in opposition to the selfish tendencies of this world.  Bring satisfaction to our souls and contentment to our spirits.  Amen.

What if we didn't want what others have...and we just wanted what YOU have, Lord?

What if we weren't jealous of what others have, but we became jealous for You, and what YOU have, Father?  What if we sought You, and served You, and delighted in You, instead of what others have? 

Wow, flipping the script could change everything.

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Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. (3) And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.  ~James 4:3

Aha!  But what if we did (live) the opposite?  

What if we did ask God?  What if our motives were all (or even just more-often) right, and were grounded in God's ways instead of our own?  

What if we were less concerned with our pleasure, and we became more concerned with pleasing God?  

It would change everything for us.  We would certainly have fewer quarrels and fights among us.  We would have less jealousy, and so we would have less fighting and waging war to take things from others.

And if we were living more for God, then our motives would align with His.  And then we would want what God wants.  

What if we reversed these verses today?

Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. (3) And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.  ~James 4:3

Lord, flip our selfish-script and change our hearts and motives to be centered on You.  As we put You first, we look forward to watching the quarrels and fights melt away and the jealousy subside.  What we want is You, and we are asking You for more of You today, Father.  Amen.

Blessings, 

Sarah 

https://sarahsundy04.blogspot.com