a mature person is a peacemaker not a troublemaker. are you a peacemaker or a troublemaker?
james 4.1 (niv), what causes fights and quarrels among you? don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?
he’s talking about conflict. he says there are inner fights and quarrels and they come from our own inner desires. you want something and you don’t get it. you covet but you cannot have what you want. you quarrel and fight and you do not have because you do not ask GOD.
am i a peacemaker? am i a troublemaker? do i like to argue? am i a contentious person? do i get my feelings hurt? do i get defensive easily? do i hurt other people’s feelings? am i a peacemaker or am i a troublemaker?
the mark of a mature person is the lack of conflict in his own life. paul told the corinthian church, you guys are a bunch of babies. they argued about everything. they argued about the LORD’s supper, gifts, leadership, everything. That’s a mark of immaturity.
why is there so much conflict in the world? why is there conflict in my marriage? why is there conflict where i work? why is there conflict between me and a former friend? why is there conflict between me and GOD? why is there conflict?
one reason for conflict, james 4.3 (niv), when you ask you do not receive. but you ask with the wrong motives that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
one cause for conflict is selfishness. when i want what i want then i’m going to have conflict with somebody. the issue is pride.
how do i know if a person is immature? look at their prayers. if their prayers are always self-centered – bless me, prosper me, protect me, use me, help me…if this is the only kind of prayer you pray, that’s immature. do you pray for other people? bless me – is all i see is me, an “i” problem. selfishness.
just a thought from the front porch…
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