We Are at War With Ourselves (James 4:1b-3)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10-16-03

 

My Worship Time                  Focus:  We are at war with ourselves

 

Bible Reading & Meditation             Reference:  James 4: 1b-3

 

            Message of the verse:  “Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members?  You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. And you are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask.  You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.”  (NASB)  “Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?

You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God.  When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”  (NIV)

            I think that is fair to ask the question: why do we have war with ourselves?  What is it about our self that cause use to have war with our self?  For one thing we are selfish beings and sin has its basic root in selfishness.  What caused Eve to sin?  Was it not selfishness on her part to be like God, to be her own person?  I think that this whole women’s movement began right back their in the garden.  As we look closely at why we sin we will see that it is because we want our will instead of God’s will for our lives.  Dr. Wiersbe speaks about how our prayer life can be selfish, and says that if our prayer life is wrong then our whole Christian life will suffer.  Prayer is aligning our wills up with the will of God, and not having God align His will up with ours.  James speaks about this in this passage where he says we ask with wrong motives, and those motives are rooted in selfishness. 

            The first two paragraphs on page 122 of “Be Mature” speak volumes about the prayers we are to be praying, and sometimes the prayers that we pray.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I have learned that I need to check my motives when I pray, and not just pray for selfish thing that I can use on my own pleasures.

 

The Word of God has taught its root cause, selfishness, and me about sin and how I as a new creature in Jesus Christ are not to be selfish. 

 

My Steps of Faith Today:  To trust the Lord in the matter of our investment with Andrew Lech, and also to continue to pray for the Lord’s will to be done with Grace Baptist Church.