But I Want It! Part 2

James 4:1-2

            What causes fights and quarrels among you? 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. (NIV)

 My Happiness Was Based on GETTING

I moved further and further away from Jesus in my late teens. At seventeen I decided that I was an adult and convinced my parents that it was time for me to leave home with a GED instead of a diploma. I stopped going to church, my Bible collected dust, and I had money of my own. I was in charge of my life. I was the boss at last! The only time I talked to Jesus was when I was drunk or in some kind of trouble. By age 33 I was an angry, unhappy woman. Nothing in my life would follow my plans! I knew what was best for everyone, but wasn’t having much success in my own life. My whole life was centered on me and my wants. My happiness was based on getting; getting attention, getting pretty things, getting control, getting my way, and getting my desires met.  When I didn’t get my way, there was a huge blow-up.

Desires=Battles

Fights and quarrels are caused by our desires. The desire for money, power, prestige, possessions, and physical pleasure battles inside each and every one of us.  The world bombards us with messages like:

•  If you’re not a winner, you’re a loser
• If you’re poor, you’re a failure
• If you’re thin, you’re more desirable                   
• Casual relationships are okay, everyone’s doing it

Giving God a Chance

Believers can win this battle with self-will through the grace of God that is granted to us through Jesus’s sacrifice upon the cross.  Jesus taught that the word of God could be choked out of our lives by paying too much attention to “life’s worries, riches, and pleasures, and they do not mature.”  I finally found a new way to live that gradually changed my whole attitude.   I decided my way wasn’t working well and it was time to give God a chance.  I surrendered control of my life to Jesus.  I dusted off my Bible, started attending church regularly, and became a prayer warrior. My anger started fading and my life became joy-filled more and more often.  I asked Jesus every day, “Lord Jesus, I love you. Help me, heal me, and make me whole. Let me do your will, not mine. Amen” If you are an angry Christian, stop and ask yourself who’s in control – God or desires?

But I Want It! Part 1

What causes fights and quarrels among you? 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. (NIV)

James 4:1-2

• We live in the world, but we are not supposed to be of the world.  What causes fights and quarrels? Self-will, wanting what we want, when we want it. Sometimes what we want is to have the last word because we have had our feelings hurt, or life has given us a bad deal (we think) so now it's time to make everyone else unhappy too. Does this sound familiar?

• Church business meetings, planning committees, where do we go to eat after a church event? All of these situations can turn into a fight or a quarrel if we let our desires get away from us. Have you been at a meeting where one person always seems to get their way because they are verbally aggressive and no one else wants to confront them? What do you do in this situation?

• The first solution to all problems in life is to take it to the Lord in prayer and ask for help, guidance, and wisdom. If you’re in the middle of a battle today try to stop and ask," What would Jesus do?"