but I can do it…

there is a third selfish desire that causes fighting and arguments.  proverbs 13.10 (lb), pride leads to arguments.  

now why is that true?  it is simply because if i’m too proud to compromise then there will be conflict.

have you ever seen someone in an argument where they were wrong but they wouldn’t admit it?  why would they do that?  it because of pride.  pride causes arguments. 

james also deals with pride  and that when we think we can do things on our own it causes problems.  james 4.2&3 (ncv), you do not get what you want, because you do not ask GOD. or when you ask, you do not receive because the reason you ask is wrong.

 

james gives two reasons why our desires aren’t fulfilled.  number one:  we don’t ask GOD, we don’t pray.  we look to the wrong source.  we look to people to fulfill our needs instead of looking to GOD.  he says the other reason is because if we do pray, the reason you ask is wrong.

the bible has said that everything i need GOD has promised to provide.  HE’ll meet all of these desires we have been talking about, the desire to have, to be, to feel – not just luxury but all my needs.

philippians 4.19 (msg) says, you can be sure that GOD will take care of everything you need. if you just ask, but we’d rather fight than pray.  we’d rather argue about something than go look to the LORD for the answer. 

when i’m upset with my wife, the last thing on my mind is prayer.  we’re not thinking about that but james says, that’s the problem.  we look to others instead of looking to GOD and that causes conflicts.  we’d rather try to work it out ourselves.

prayerlessness in itself is an evidence of pride.  james says we’d have a lot more peace if we’d just pray more.  we’d have a lot less to worry about, a lot less to argue about, a lot less to fight over if we just prayed more. 

the old song, “oh what peace we often forfeit, oh what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to GOD in prayer.”

just a thought from the front porch…