Good weekend to you my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
Do you sometimes wish you could foresee the future and what your life will be facing next month or next year? Or have you ever wished you would never again find yourself caught up in an argument or conflict? Join me again today for answers to those questions, as we work through the very first little letter, which was written to the first generation of Christians, in the first century. It eventually became part of our New Testament.
This letter was written by James, the 1/2 brother of Jesus Christ, who became a significant leader in the Jerusalem spiritual movement of primarily Messianic Jewish Christians, in the months and years following the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus.
Already we’ve looked at the first three chapters of Jame’s letter, which you’ll find near the end of your New Testament, between the books of Hebrews and Peter’s two letters. Written in about 47ad, James wrote primarily to the Messianic Jewish Christians, (James 1:1) challenging them to understand and live practically this new life in relationship with Jesus, as empowered by the Holy Spirit.
Then as now arguments and conflict were a frequent part of everyday life, and sometimes those conflicts became so heated people behaved in God demeaning ways, countering their claims to be Spirit filled Christians! Has that ever happened to you?
James deals with that head on: “What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires which battle within you?…” (James 4:1-4) And with those words James provides a remarkable explanation of HOW disagreement turns to argument and then conflict and WHY it’s so important for God’s people to find God’s help and God’s answers to this widespread human problem!
Do you agree conflict almost always results in some damage, some wounding of the souls of those involved? Also, do you agree that wounding is a primary objective of the dark kingdom with all human relationships and communication?
In verses 5-10 James does a masterful job of helping us understand God’s perspective and God’s remedy for this conflict problem, which we all have. Our human sin nature’s tendency is toward disagreement and conflict, even with those we should love like our families and God’s people.
I have found the two most damaging types of conflict wounds are family conflict and church conflict. Do you agree? Oh my, how the dark kingdom loves to turn family members and church members against each other in deeply wounding conflict. Why?
Because those two groups should be the safest places for you and me to experience belonging, acceptance, love, and motivation toward growth and God honoring maturity. Naturally, our hearts are more open and our defenses lowered when we are with family or church friends. So, it should be evident WHY the dark kingdom focuses on turning family and church into battlefields which leave residue of broken and bleeding hearts.
And have you noticed my friends, that we all have a natural tendency to protect ourselves from those places and people we think might wound us? That’s why so many families and churches are in dysfunction, with people isolating away from each other rather than drawing close to each other and resolving their differences. Pause.
Are your family and your church two places where you have found healing and building strong alliances with others against the schemes of the dark kingdom? That is God’s design and desire for EVERY biological family (Deut. 30:19,20) and EVERY church family. (1 Peter 1:3-9) Do you understand that?
Have you also learned, my friends, that in disagreement, argument or even conflict, when both parties claim to be Christians, we have a tremendous advantage for conflict resolution over everyone else? James mentions it: “Humble yourselves before the Lord Jesus Christ and HE will lift you up.” (James 4:10) Oh my friends do you understand it? Have you experienced it and do you use it as a conflict resolving strategy?
When two Christian people are in conflict, if they will each humble themselves before God, inviting the Spirit of God to show them their fault or contribution to the conflict, and then repent of what God shows them… then God can do His miraculous work of cleansing and transforming them into healthy, God honoring people.
As both Christians in the conflict experience the convicting, cleansing, correcting work of God they are then positioned to approach the person with whom they are in conflict now with humility, seeking reconciliation. In that heart posture, then God can draw them together in reconciliation for HIS glory! Have you discovered how God can be radically honored and greatly glorified in conflict resolution?
James closes out his wonderful 4th chapter challenging us to be careful in assuming anything about tomorrow or the future. James 4:13 says: Now listen you who say: ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.’ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes…” (James 4:13-17)
Oh my, that strikes close to home for all of us, doesn’t it? You probably have a calendar, either paper or electronic, with which you make your careful plans, perhaps even way out into the future, maybe years future! With this brief section of his letter James is led by the Holy Spirit to give us some very wise advice that we’d all do well to adapt into our lives and our planning.
Now I urge you to do today as I’ve invited you to do the past three days. Take your notepad of paper and with pen in hand, read EVERY verse of James 4, writing down the Holy Spirit given thoughts which come into your mind and heart. If this is now the fourth day you’ve done this, by now you should have quite a collection of wisdom God has spoken to you this week!
As always, there are some ‘lessons learned’ notes which we’ve prepared for your further study, at the link below and a worship song which I hope will draw you into a prayerful time with Jesus.
On Monday, James and I will be here, waiting for you, as we’ll look at his closing chapter, and then we’ll reconnect with Paul and Barnabas in Syrian Antioch. I hope you have a great worship experience with Jesus this weekend my friends, wherever you are in the world.
Today’s Scripture: James 4.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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