I was born a carb-lover; I don’t like vegetables. I take after my mom in that way, and some of my sons, unfortunately, take after me. I tried to make the boys eat lots of veggies when they were little, but it didn’t exactly work.
When Ryan was first starting table food, I mixed his peas into his mashed potatoes. As I shoveled a spoonful of the mix into his mouth, I watched triumphantly, thinking how smart I was. Somehow, though, he managed to eat the potatoes, but he spat out the peas! One by one they slipped out of his mouth and rolled over his little baby lips.
That reminds me of how we often read the Bible. We are willing, even eager, to “digest” the parts that we find appealing, but we kind of spit out the verses we don’t like.
James is full of those unappetizing parts, passages and paragraphs full of the power of conviction. Chapter 4 is no exception. If we aren’t careful, it would be easy to graze right past the message, to think that it doesn’t apply to us, to imagine that James is speaking to someone else, to someone who does not know the Lord. But that is not true.
As we learned from James 1:1, this letter is written to believers, people, like us, who have already made the decision to know and follow Christ. That’s why James 4 is so shocking, so bold, so confrontational.
“What is causing the quarrels and fights among you?” he begins (4:1). “You are jealous of what others have, but can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them.” (4:2)
After pointing an accusing finger, James goes on to draw a direct line between actions to the motives. And what does he have to say?
“You don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong.” (4:2-3)
We live in a divisive world. We can’t turn on the radio or the news or any social media account without feeling the sting. No matter what the issue, there are always sides. It just seems so easy to pit ourselves against one another. Why?
James says it’s because we are looking in the wrong places for all the wrong things. We want things that will bring us pleasure, and we look for it in all the wrong places.
Is pleasure wrong?
No, it’s not. Remember, in chapter 1, verse 17, James has already told us that everything good and perfect is a gift from the Father. We know that God gives us good things for our pleasure. So, what is the real problem here? What is James condemning?
He tells us in verse 4. He’s condemning our friendship with the world.
Note that “world” here is not talking about specific people. James is not saying that being friends with the lost makes us enemies of God. He is not suggesting that we all move into a commune and live in isolation. When James says “world,” he is actually talking about a feel-good, self-serving, self-promoting world-view.
What causes fights among you? Jealousy, envy, wrong motives, putting yourself before God, before others—pride.
God takes it all very seriously. He wants a people who are faithful to Him above all else.
Faithful to Him, even if we don’t get our way.
Faithful to Him, even if we don’t get what we want.
Faithful to Him, even when we hurt.
Faithful to Him, even if others aren’t.
Faithful to Him and Him alone.
I’m so glad that James is so practical. He doesn’t just preach; he provides real-life steps, broken down into bite-size pieces, to help us take the actions that God outlines. In verses 7-10, James gives us a 4-step secret recipe.
We must humble ourselves before God. It’s not a popular concept in our world today, but “humble” means to place ourselves in a position of subservience. We must acknowledge that God is God, and we are not.
We must resist the devil. Notice, this takes effort. If we are not resisting, we are accepting. We must oppose the influence of evil that so naturally arises in and around us. When we do, God promises that Satan will run.
We must draw close to God. How? By staying in His Word, by talking to Him and listening to His voice in our heart and lives, by obeying and putting what we know into practice.
We must repent of our sins. “Wash your hands…purify your hearts…Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief…” (verse 8-9) This is repentance. It’s not just saying “sorry,” it’s feeling the weight of our sins, the gravity of our transgressions, admitting them to Christ, asking for His forgiveness, and then, turning from them.
And what is the final result? When we take these actions, God promises that He will come close to us (verse 8) and that He will lift us up in honor (verse 10).
James is chocked full of spiritually nutritious passages like this, passages that remind us of the gravity of our selfish and sinful hearts but offer us the continued hope of an unwavering faith in Christ. It’s good stuff. It’s important stuff. It’s convicting stuff. But, remember, we’ll only benefit from it if we eat the peas as well as the mashed potatoes.
THIS WEEK
Continue memorizing James 1:22. Write it five times by memory.
Read James 4:1-10 every day.
Where do you find it hardest to get along with others? Is it at work? at home? on social media? Ask God to convict you of areas where your pride is causing divisiveness. Repent, and then ask Him to help you to be more humble in your interactions with others.
Of the four steps listed above, which do you find the most difficult? Pray for wisdom, and then brainstorm ways that you can take action to more actively pursue that step.