Today is day 4 of a five day challenge to read through the book of James. Over 30 people started the journey with me. If you’ve been reading then you see how straight forward James is. Chapter 4 is like a swift kick to the face. Here are some thoughts…
- vs. 1 – Not only does James tell us where fights come from, but he also says that God doesn’t answer prayers because we ask with selfish motives. Maybe that’s why God is not answering my prayer to grow my hair back and not go bald.
- vs. 4 – It doesn’t get any more in your face then this verse. “You adulterous people.” I’ve counseled multiple people who have been affected because of adultery. It’s heartbreaking to find that someone you love is sharing the most intimate experiences with someone else. It’s worse than a slap in the face. It’s an awful feeling. I can’t imagine how heartbreaking it is to find your spouse having an affair. James compares friendship with the world to an affair!
- vs. 5 – God’s spirit is jealous. He’s jealous when we don’t turn to Him. He’s jealous when we seek the world before we seek Him.
- vs. 7 – So the Devil has ADD? Resist the devil and he will flee from you. When we resist the devil gets bored and moves on.
- vs. 8-10 – This is not saying that we should always weep and wail. This is saying that when we realize that our selfish actions are like committing adultery against God it should lead us to repent. Imagine being caught in the act of adultery and realizing what a mistake you’ve made. That’s what this is talking about. I hate it when I realize how my actions have affected God. In the moment my selfish actions felt so good, but afterward it feels awful. I’m so thankful that God forgives!
- vs. 11 In case you missed it not judging others is one of the themes of this book.
- vs. 13-16 – I think the point here is to include God in your plans? We make plans and then want God to bless them. Instead we should ask God where He wants us to go.
- vs. 17 – Ok this is a creative definition of sin. Creative and convicting. Like I said a swift kick in the face.
In his book "Don't check your brains at the door", Josh McDowell talks about man viewpoints we have of God. One of the ones that struck me was the "vending machine" viewpoint of God. So often we view God as someone we come to an insert our prayers and He grants them as if He is a genie.I love how James chides his readers for this mindset. Its a great reminder
Very true and a good point – Michael.
vs.12 – "who are you to judge your neighbor" … what a slap to the head
What I took away from verses 1-3 is that a lot of time I don't ask God for things because they're bad in the first place. And I wouldn't ask God for something I'd be ashamed of.
Let's say I find myself desiring something. If my first reaction was to immediately ask God for it, I'd probably stop desiring that thing. For instance, if every time I checked out an attractive lady on the street, the first thing I would do would not be to pray "Dear God, please let me find a way to have an affair with that woman." Why? Because it's something with an extremely selfish motive; because it's sin. I would end up feeling ashamed if I asked God for it.
So, being very in tune with the things you desire is important. When I find myself desiring something, I should talk it over with God. That will either turn into a confession or a request. If it's a confession, it will involve admitting to God that the desires of my heart are not the same as His, and then asking for help in making them closer. If it's a request, I can find an opportunity to have faith that God will provide what I ask for, if it is His will.
v3 is one that I have focused on in the past few months. I got so tired of hearing my own prayers filled with "me", "me", "me". I felt selfish, but I had to acknowledge that this was an ingrained habit. To help me learn to pray more outwardly instead of inwardly, I now keep a pad on my desk in which I write down the names of folks that I consciously want to pray for each day.
I'm behind, but still here!!!
v 1-3 I can so related to the self-centeredness he is speaking of. I just can't believe that it took me so long to see it
v 7 Resisting the devil is a long-term mission, not a one time deal. May I have the persistence to continue resisting.
v 13-15 My pastor frequently says "God willing…" when he is sharing things with us like what next week's service will entail, what the next series will be,… It use to sound strange but I get it.
v 17 This is difficult for me because I already feel like I don't do enough and can never do enough. At some point I hope to get to a place where I can appreciate the things that I do do instead of beating myself up for those I don't.