James 4: 1-11: CONFLICT!
James is writing to Christians and addresses a topic that is common in all of our lifes.............Conflict. Unfortunately, it is just part of being human and we all encounter it every day. In this passage we will look at three C's of conflict: cause, consequence and cure.
CAUSE:
James says the cause of our conflicts is our own pleasure and it wages war in our life (James 4:1). The greek word for "pleasure" is "passion". "Passion" means "desire". There is a huge trend today that encourages everyone to find their passion. I can not help but think when I read this passage that finding our passion on it's own can be a great source of conflict in our lives. Because once we find it, we have to protect it, often. Unless we seek what God has gifted us for and ask what He wants to use from our lives we might be finding ourselves sitting in the middle of unnecessary conflict.
Read Romans 7: 18-20. Paul talks about wanting to do the right thing but his actions would be something totally opposite. I can testify. There would be times in my life that I would be talking to someone and know that God was making it clear to me to keep my mouth shut but I would just be sitting there and my mouth would open and out would come empty words. So many times when I would do that, the conflict would just go on and on.
James continues to say that our lust or desire cause conflict (James 4:2). It seems so often that we intentionally take matters into our own hands when we want something so much.
I Peter 2:11 says lust wages war with our soul. Conflict is caused from being envious, wanting what someone else has. I can assure you that we will take nothing with us when we die. If material things are what we are envious over we will find ourselves in endless turmoil.
Finally, a great cause of conflict is being too busy and never once asking for direction from God.
CONSEQUENCE:
Consequences of our conflicts is that we do not receive direction because we ask God with the wrong motives (James 4:3). We ask according to what we want so we can lavish ourselves instead of getting on our faces before God and asking what He wants.
Secondly, a consequence is being friends with the world instead of God (James 4:4). Who do you want to be friends with? Godly friends are a great support and encouragement and are a must to growing in Christ.
Lastly, James says that a consequence is making God jealous (James 4:5). He breathed life into you and He jealously looks upon you as His precious child.
CURE:
The cure for conflict is found in verses 7,8 and 10. Submit to God, come near to God, humble yourself before the Lord. In other words, get on your face before Him. In doing that you will resist the devil, He will come near to you and He WILL lift you up! It is a promise.
I have encouraged all the ladies to spend some time before the Lord in prayer this week and to come back and share how it helped in their lives and conflicts. I encourage you to do the same and don't be scared to share it with us! Also, feel free to let us know if there is anything we can pray for you!
CAUSE:
James says the cause of our conflicts is our own pleasure and it wages war in our life (James 4:1). The greek word for "pleasure" is "passion". "Passion" means "desire". There is a huge trend today that encourages everyone to find their passion. I can not help but think when I read this passage that finding our passion on it's own can be a great source of conflict in our lives. Because once we find it, we have to protect it, often. Unless we seek what God has gifted us for and ask what He wants to use from our lives we might be finding ourselves sitting in the middle of unnecessary conflict.
Read Romans 7: 18-20. Paul talks about wanting to do the right thing but his actions would be something totally opposite. I can testify. There would be times in my life that I would be talking to someone and know that God was making it clear to me to keep my mouth shut but I would just be sitting there and my mouth would open and out would come empty words. So many times when I would do that, the conflict would just go on and on.
James continues to say that our lust or desire cause conflict (James 4:2). It seems so often that we intentionally take matters into our own hands when we want something so much.
I Peter 2:11 says lust wages war with our soul. Conflict is caused from being envious, wanting what someone else has. I can assure you that we will take nothing with us when we die. If material things are what we are envious over we will find ourselves in endless turmoil.
Finally, a great cause of conflict is being too busy and never once asking for direction from God.
CONSEQUENCE:
Consequences of our conflicts is that we do not receive direction because we ask God with the wrong motives (James 4:3). We ask according to what we want so we can lavish ourselves instead of getting on our faces before God and asking what He wants.
Secondly, a consequence is being friends with the world instead of God (James 4:4). Who do you want to be friends with? Godly friends are a great support and encouragement and are a must to growing in Christ.
Lastly, James says that a consequence is making God jealous (James 4:5). He breathed life into you and He jealously looks upon you as His precious child.
CURE:
The cure for conflict is found in verses 7,8 and 10. Submit to God, come near to God, humble yourself before the Lord. In other words, get on your face before Him. In doing that you will resist the devil, He will come near to you and He WILL lift you up! It is a promise.
I have encouraged all the ladies to spend some time before the Lord in prayer this week and to come back and share how it helped in their lives and conflicts. I encourage you to do the same and don't be scared to share it with us! Also, feel free to let us know if there is anything we can pray for you!
posted by Glenda at
6:46 PM
4 Comments:
Something that REALLY put conflict into a whole new light for me yesterday was from the statement you made based on these scriptures that, "Your passions are at war with your souls and that is the immediate beginning of conflict." At war w/ your souls....OUCH especially since so many of our passions are based on our feelings/emotions. If you wanna take it to the farthest degree, we could say our feelings/emotions are at war with our souls...further evidence of our need for a standard, a plumb line...God's word! It really makes me shake in my boots at my tendency and my observation of so many other's tendency to go with their own intuition at what is "right", "good", etc. IT IS AT WAR WITH YOUR SOUL!
P.S. Just looking at my notes. You left out Heb. 7:19. Did that go under "cure"? Love you! -Me
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GLENDA! I'm proud of you. Love, Preston
You too, Anna! P
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