Read

James 4:1-3

¹What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Isn’t it the whole army of evil desires at war within you? ²You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous for what others have, and you can’t possess it, so you fight and quarrel to take it away from them. And yet the reason you don’t have what you want is that you don’t ask God for it. ³And even when you do ask, you don’t get it because your whole motive is wrong–you want only what will give you pleasure.

Reflect

Covet. That word doesn’t usually mean too much to us. It’s an older word that is usually associated with one of the ten commandments. So…let me use a few other words that you might know.

Envy. Begrudge. Drool. Jealous. Salivate. Resentment. Gall.

These aren’t attractive words. We usually try to avoid being identified by one of those words - yet - almost all of us experience some moments where we wish we had what others had. Often, it’s not a healthy desire. What James is telling us to do is make an intentional effort to seek God’s will and not our own because when we are selfish, thinking only about what we want, we will always want the wrong things. Jesus actually said it. “Seek first the kingdom of God and He will give you all you need.” Mat 6:33

Respond

Why is it important to first make the decision to seek God’s will before we ask him our desires?

Does God answer all our requests? Are they always answers we like?

How can we combat - as James describes them - the army of evil desires?

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