"What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don't they come from the evil desires at war within you? 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. 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
New Living Translation
When you turn on the news these days, it's rare not to see a group rioting about something - what ever it is, what ever the cause, rioting is never the answer. Acting out in anger is childish behavior and participants should be treated as children. Under developed brains lashing out in the only way they know how - temper tantrums.
How sad... Destroying property, businesses, communities, property values, etc...
None of this is going to help your cause - what ever the cause may be.
Spend time reflecting on what is driving the anger. When you peel back the onion to the core, I believe you'll find what James is referring to in the passage above. Humans are flawed creatures. Humans have emotions that, if unchecked by wisdom, will drive destructive behavior.
I just returned from filling up my bird feeder. It's winter here. The birds have mentally mapped out where all of the feeders are in the neighborhoods. They make the rounds to get an easy meal. In the wilderness, these same birds would be working diligently to overturn leaves and search under sticks for their meals but in the city there's no need. Humans have set out feeding stations to provide for them.
It's interesting to observe the conflict that erupts when birds arrive at a feeder that is already being used. Regardless of the fact that there is plenty of food to go around for all for at least a week, birds will squabble and squawk to drive others away. They will fling the very food they are fighting for at the other birds to drive them away rather than calmly share. There is intimidation and certain birds will call in groups of the same birds to increase their numbers and drive other birds away. Then once they have claimed the feeder, internal fighting begins until the numbers dwindle and the cycle begins again.
Jealousy, greed, anger... then loneliness, isolation, despair.
We want what others have! But why?? Why do we want it?? God knows our hearts! He knows what we would do with it if we had it. He knows that it is best kept away from us until we adjust our hearts. We must first seek God. We must ask God to help us understand what His purpose is for us. We must have a servant's heart. In order to have a servant's heart we must first realize that we have a master. The master is GOD.
Everything we have comes from GOD! Everything!! Until we are willing to bow down before the almighty and give Him praise and thanksgiving, He will not help you. He loves you and wants what is best for you, but, like a two year old throwing a tantrum, you will not receive it until you gain wisdom of how your actions control your outcomes.
Why do you want it? Are you going to boast to your buddies about how much better you are now that you have what ever IT is? Are you going to increase the jealousy, greed and anger in someone else? Are you going to make them feel less worthy? What does that say about your heart? Is that what God does?
What are your evil desires? How do you bring them to light so you can fix them? Hmmm.... "Bring them to light..." That's an interesting saying. We should bring them to THE Light - the light of Jesus Christ - in prayer. We should ask Jesus to shine a light on the areas of our inner darkness that is keeping our relationship from sprouting, from taking root and flourishing. Shine Your light on my heart, oh God, and show me where I need to change. Unveil the actions, the thoughts, the habits and the emotions that are driving a wedge between us. Replace this wedge with the cross of Jesus and help me change my heart, Lord.
The first step in any change is identifying the root cause of the problem. Jesus will help you see the problem as He sees the problem. He will help you lay out a plan to correct the situation and, through constant and consistent prayer, He will walk you through the issue. As you change your heart, the desires will change as well. You will begin to see things as they truly are. They will cease to be your desires. They will be replaced with the desires of Jesus: to love everyone as Jesus does, to provide for everyone as Jesus does, to seek only Jesus who will provide for you... ALWAYS!
The Shepherd
- James 4:1-3
New Living Translation
When you turn on the news these days, it's rare not to see a group rioting about something - what ever it is, what ever the cause, rioting is never the answer. Acting out in anger is childish behavior and participants should be treated as children. Under developed brains lashing out in the only way they know how - temper tantrums.
How sad... Destroying property, businesses, communities, property values, etc...
None of this is going to help your cause - what ever the cause may be.
Spend time reflecting on what is driving the anger. When you peel back the onion to the core, I believe you'll find what James is referring to in the passage above. Humans are flawed creatures. Humans have emotions that, if unchecked by wisdom, will drive destructive behavior.
I just returned from filling up my bird feeder. It's winter here. The birds have mentally mapped out where all of the feeders are in the neighborhoods. They make the rounds to get an easy meal. In the wilderness, these same birds would be working diligently to overturn leaves and search under sticks for their meals but in the city there's no need. Humans have set out feeding stations to provide for them.
It's interesting to observe the conflict that erupts when birds arrive at a feeder that is already being used. Regardless of the fact that there is plenty of food to go around for all for at least a week, birds will squabble and squawk to drive others away. They will fling the very food they are fighting for at the other birds to drive them away rather than calmly share. There is intimidation and certain birds will call in groups of the same birds to increase their numbers and drive other birds away. Then once they have claimed the feeder, internal fighting begins until the numbers dwindle and the cycle begins again.
Jealousy, greed, anger... then loneliness, isolation, despair.
We want what others have! But why?? Why do we want it?? God knows our hearts! He knows what we would do with it if we had it. He knows that it is best kept away from us until we adjust our hearts. We must first seek God. We must ask God to help us understand what His purpose is for us. We must have a servant's heart. In order to have a servant's heart we must first realize that we have a master. The master is GOD.
Everything we have comes from GOD! Everything!! Until we are willing to bow down before the almighty and give Him praise and thanksgiving, He will not help you. He loves you and wants what is best for you, but, like a two year old throwing a tantrum, you will not receive it until you gain wisdom of how your actions control your outcomes.
Why do you want it? Are you going to boast to your buddies about how much better you are now that you have what ever IT is? Are you going to increase the jealousy, greed and anger in someone else? Are you going to make them feel less worthy? What does that say about your heart? Is that what God does?
What are your evil desires? How do you bring them to light so you can fix them? Hmmm.... "Bring them to light..." That's an interesting saying. We should bring them to THE Light - the light of Jesus Christ - in prayer. We should ask Jesus to shine a light on the areas of our inner darkness that is keeping our relationship from sprouting, from taking root and flourishing. Shine Your light on my heart, oh God, and show me where I need to change. Unveil the actions, the thoughts, the habits and the emotions that are driving a wedge between us. Replace this wedge with the cross of Jesus and help me change my heart, Lord.
The first step in any change is identifying the root cause of the problem. Jesus will help you see the problem as He sees the problem. He will help you lay out a plan to correct the situation and, through constant and consistent prayer, He will walk you through the issue. As you change your heart, the desires will change as well. You will begin to see things as they truly are. They will cease to be your desires. They will be replaced with the desires of Jesus: to love everyone as Jesus does, to provide for everyone as Jesus does, to seek only Jesus who will provide for you... ALWAYS!
The Shepherd
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