James is a short letter, but you can see him working himself up as you get to the fourth chapter. I think my boy Jacob was a firecracker! Its like he was still trying to keep cool through chapter 3 ( can bitter and sweet come from the same spring…) but only a paragraph or three later, he loses it just a bit with “…you know why you don’t have? Do you know? I’ll tell you why! Its because you are a spiritual adulterer! Its because you scheme with envy, its because you are corrupt!!! ”
James chapter 4 packs a punch. You really need to sit down before you read it. But it comes down to a simple message:
Our conflict and quarrels comes from us trying to follow our own path, trying to obtain our own desires. Move closer to God, search Him out, seek His purpose, then do what you know is right… Today!
I look at my kids (just because I am ashamed to look at myself….)
My son and daughter love each other. They care for each other and take care of each other. But every now and again, there is a sound that comes from the room they are in that I think is very close to the sound a pterodactyl would have made, and it represents a line in the sand. One of the two pushed too far in what they want. The peace was broken because of a little selfishness.
I often quote verse 2 “And all the time you do not obtain what you want because you won’t ask God for it!” but I conveniently leave out the next part that says ” *And if you ask, you won’t receive it, for you are asking with _corrupt motives_ , seeking only to fulfill your own selfish desires* .”
I think the sports field is a good place to see this. When we were in school, the team would gather before a match and we would pray that God help us, and give us victory. But that was the selfish prayer. We should have prayed that God help us to play with honour. To be fair. To respect our opponents.
I have run into a brick wall a few times when I asked God for stuff. I will ask Him for things and have plenty of good spiritual reasons as to why He should help me obtain it. The conversation often ends with God coming back with a question: “Ok, if I give this to you… will you be able to give it away when I tell you to?”
Yes of course! Gladly!
But I am ashamed to say that my bible I asked God for, and He provided with grace… a few months ago, He told me to give it to someone, and I just couldn’t. Too many notes, too many personal scribbles. I convinced myself that it couldn’t be, that I am not Hearing God’s Voice… and that _obviously_ God wanted me to buy them _another_ bible…
What an easy test to fail. What if God gave me a car? Or provided the kids school fees? Its easy to give your food away to the homeless guy. Its a slight inconvenience. But the things you beg God for… not quite so simple to let go once you have it in your hands… and the odd thing is that if He provided it once, to provide it again is no problem!
Trying to place God into a worldly mold just doesn’t work. The world’s values are at odds with God’s Kingdom.
Verse 7 “So then, surrender to God…”
Verse 8 “Move your heart closer and closer to God…”
…and verse 17 – If you have the opportunity to do the right thing today. Do it. Today.
