At War Inside
James 4:1 Do you know where your fights and arguments come from? They come from the selfish desires that make war inside you.
Fights and arguments – who needs them? Who wants them? Conflict is a terrible thing that robs us of our peace and our joy. And how easy is it to blame the other guy? I mean … obviously, it’s their fault
Now call me crazy but I’ve come to the conclusion that playing the blame game doesn’t resolve anything. Not really.
When we blame the other party, we may feel vindicated; we may be letting ourselves off the hook for the part we may have played in the conflict; it may give us a short term sense of relief, but it doesn’t really solve anything.
One of the biggest problems we face in conflict is a lack of awareness of our own emotions. There’s a spark of conflict, it somehow sets us off , and then we’re into it without ever stopping to think: Where did this fight come from? Why am I reacting the way I am?
And those two “why” questions are very good questions to be asking ourselves before we head down that well-worn path of conflict yet again. Here’s why:
James 4:1 Do you know where your fights and arguments come from? They come from the selfish desires that make war inside you.
So, rather than blaming the other party, God’s saying here, “Hey, look inside your own heart. Stop and think about your own emotions, what selfish desires are kicking off this war inside you – before it spills out into your relationship with this other person”.
Because nine times out of ten, our fights, our arguments, begin in our own hearts. First, be aware of your own emotions, deal with your own selfishness, and you’ll end up with far less conflict in your life.
That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.
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