Stop fighting, get what you truly desire.

I went to bed last night considering this passage. Felt weird reading my bible just before bed, but the boy was in bed, I had slept in, in the morning so that was what was available to me. Must say though, it was nicer waking up with James' words in my head rather some other stuff. Makes me think I aught to do this more often. :)

Anyways, these words sat with me all night:

1What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? 2You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. 4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, "He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us"? 6But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." 7Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

Consider it: it is our passions that cause problems between us. Our sinful desires. Whether it be selfishness, pride, envy, covetousness, or whatever. We want, we don't have, so we do stuff we aught not in order to try to get what we want.

Hmm... therein lies what I've been hearing on messages lately about Psychology and religion (from Sovereign Grace Ministries) Why they don't mix. Psychology blames the wrong things, whereas the bible points to the heart of the matter. Psychology would blame our past --- how we have unresolved conflicts, bad upbringing etc. The bible here states it plainly, you want something, you don't have whatever it is, so you fight to get it thereby causing problems with other folks about it.

So what does God say we aught to do about it? If we want something, what should be do?
- stop wanting our own stuff so much
- submit to God
- draw near to God
- resist the devil
- humble yourself before God
- "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you."

We seriously need to consider this: submit, draw near, humble yourself, cleanse yourself, and purify your hearts. This is how you will get what you truly desire.

So just what then does that mean for folks who've been scarred by their upbringing, or other life experiences?
Turn to God. Realize that yes, you had some bad life experiences, but GOD is bigger than that. God can heal those hurts, God can fill that void in your life, God kept you alive through it all so you don't have to be trapped by the devil in the pain/sorrow/hatred of it. God can handle it all, and through his working, make you into a better person who brings glory to his name. God is just so much bigger than all of our "stuff". He really is.

Praise be to his name, and for the abundance of his word given us.