What
causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that
battle within you? (1). Plain truth but a hard
one.
Quarrels, fighting, ‘words’
with another, yes, they happen. Often, possibly always, I feel justified in my
words, whether they are a defense against a perceived attack or my words
initiate the conflict.
James makes a poignant
observation. Don't they [the
quarrels I have and therefore the words I use to contest my quarrels] come from your desires that battle within
you? Ouch, the quarrels and fights I find myself in come from within
me! They come from the mixed motives and imperfect desires within
me!
The more I ponder this, the
more validity I see and hear in it. My mixed motives and desires cause me to
defend myself. What happens? Quarrels ensue. I feel slighted by someone else’s
action or word and I lash out. Quarrels ensue…
But I am only defending
myself, I immediately think. Then again wasn’t it Jesus who said, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you
on the right cheek, turn to him the other also (Matt hew 5:39). I assume I am justified in defending
myself, but does Jesus???
All of this drives me to
look inside… at myself and my mixed motives.
All of this causes me to
realize how sin-filled I am. And how short I fall of God’s
mark.
All of this reminds me how
much I need a Savior…
Jesus, thank
You for teaching me God’s way. Thank You for living it and showing me an example
of how God’s ways look in human life. Jesus, thank You for dying for me, for
forgiving my sin and for redeeming me. Thank You,
Jesus.
Now that Your
Word has shown me a problem in my life, help me, Lord, to correct it. Send forth
Your Holy Spirit to instruct me and train me in living rightly. This I pray in
Your name, Jesus. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment