Daily Devotional

"What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions (pleasures) are at war within you?  You 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.   You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions (pleasures)."  James 4:1-3

James in his letter writes to the church – “To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion!” (James 1:1).  It alarms me that he speaks of murder in regard to believers, and all the more alarming that the dispute which would lead to murder would be their lack of ability to have all the things they wanted for their pleasures!  What a sad testimony of the church by James!!

Even when these believers do ask, they are still focused on their pleasures & passions.  They are not asking for basics.  They are not hoping to get a lot of goods together so that they could help others.  They wanted it all for their own pleasures & passions, and would pursue these at the expense of others in the church!

It can be concluded that the Christian life filled with the pursuit of passions & pleasures will lead to much discontent, and the eruptions of many arguments & disputes, followed by ungodly choices and actions not fitting for those who call Christ Lord!

It seems like such things should never even be possible for those in the church!  But we have a narcissistic society, and if we base our lives on that society, so will we also experience both its pleasures and its problems.  Paul speaks of similar circumstances in the Corinthian church, asking them, “Why not rather suffer wrong?  Why not rather be defrauded?  (I Cor. 6:7)

Apparently these church people are given over to aggressive pursuit of their desires.  They ought to be thinking about giving & sharing, about love & compassion.  But instead they are thinking about more things, more trips, more experiences, all of an earthly and fleshly nature.  All in confrontation even with other believers!  This describes a life contrary to the Kingdom.

How shall we live differently than these?  It cannot mean simply denying ourselves pleasures, for that leads to focusing on the pleasures which we are not to allow ourselves (Like a life of trying not to sin, which makes one think constantly about sin!).  
 
It must mean focusing on a life of serving Christ!  If our focus is on our service, we will rightly deny pleasures when they get in the way of that service.  Also, we will rightly enjoy our pleasures when they are part & parcel of our service to Christ!!  Seeking to serve Christ daily, actively seeking Him, keeps our heart from focusing on the world, which will come rushing in where there is a vacuum of that heart of service.

Next time look for James 4 Devotional, Part II, “An Enemy of God”.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.