Where do wars and fights come from
among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that
war in your members? You lust and do not have. You murder and
covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have
because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you
ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know
that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore
wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture says in
vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”? – James 4:1-5
I have to read this passage multiple times to take it all in. James is saying so many things here. But the basis of it all comes to one thing. We are called “Adulterers and adulteresses”. The words here are not regarding a man or woman cheating on their spouse. It’s regarding God’s jealousy for us, and our desire to be part of the world, ignoring and even rejecting His love for our own passions and pleasures.
We struggle in so many ways to meet up to the
world’s expectations! We try to look the
part of a successful person, act the part of a perfect mother and wife, and be
the best employee anyone could have so that we earn their favor. We go into debt to appear to be
successful. We teach our children the dos
and don’ts of the world, but far too often – we fail to teach them even the 10 commandments.
By putting all our energy into living up to the world’s
expectations, we encircle ourselves with wars and fights in our soul. We’re depressed, tired, broken, defeated, and
disengaged from God. We know from
Ephesians 2:14 that Jesus is our peace – yet we leave Him out of our
lives. We discredit the relationship
with have or don’t have with Him for the relationships we have in this
temporary life.
James 4:4 says to be friends with the world is to
be an enemy of God. One may ask, why
would it make us an enemy because after all God made the world? The simple answer to that is yes, He did make
the world, but we have corrupted it with our own desires. When we try to meet up to the expectations of
the world, we begin to worship the world.
We want the world’s money, the worlds fame, the worlds approval, and all
it has to offer! The word worship means
simply to give reverence and adoration.
Is that not what we’re doing?
Is your life a trainwreck? Are you miserable, unfulfilled,
anxious, depressed, and feeling like there’s nothing good in this life? God is a prayer away. For those that have received His salvation,
He tells us He will never leave us or forsake us because His Spirit resides
with us.
But God is a jealous God. He loves us with a love that is stronger than
any other. And believe me, He will not
put up with our adultery with the world.
You’ll come to ruins if you put your faith, love, and hope in the
world. Keep in mind this world is not eternal (Matthew
24:35). Would you put your money into a
stock you knew was going bankrupt? Of course not. Don’t put your stock in this world, put it –
your love, time, and devotion – into the eternal God. You’ll find something much greater than this
world can offer you – peace.
