In the time I have rededicated my own heart to the Lord Jesus Christ, I have become more convinced there is one distinction within the realm of His church that makes this choice of lifestyle totally unique from other religions and beliefs, and this distinction in my eyes can be summed up in one word: "Unselfishness"......
Unselfishness is defined as: "choosing to disregard your own personal advantages and focus for the welfare of another. Unselfishness can involve a multitude of personal choices ranging from offering genuine concern for the rights and feelings of others, being considerate as to what another may be facing, willing to share from a generous heart, and instead of a natural behavior to have your primary concern on yourself and exclude the needs of others, you now have been given a kind of strength to give yourself entirely to the needs of others, and exclude yourself."
We see these larger than life demonstrations in the world around us: soldiers giving their lives for the sake of our freedom, people giving their lives to help the hungry, others assisting children in dire needs, men and women dedicating their lives to medical breakthroughs, and still others given to the war against drug and sex trafficking.
Yet here in James 4, the passage seems to apply itself to the motives of our own hearts, dealing with issues and how we handle ourselves with those we are with...on a daily basis. It seems to be one of those "get personal" thoughts: how we treat the members of our own family, our concern for our friends and neighbors, or our attitudes toward those we see in our workplaces....all these things having a common denominator; that being to examine our lifestyle choices...within our daily encounters... and of course, not excluding our local church and how we treat one another in those arenas... of our lives.
James writes in this passage how the "desires of our heart" are often mistaken for the "desires for personal pleasure"...and when we don't get what we want...then we will fight to get it. We then move from giving God His rightful place in leading us to do the things that will benefit others and in turn benefit us, to taking on "The Masters of our Fate" attitude, and change the focus of life...to ourselves.
A Gleaning from James 4: 1-3
" Ask yourselves: What causes the strife and tensions among you? What is stirring these divisions, conflicts, and unwanted stress...that become so prevalent it leads to quarrels, fights, and to the point you no longer speak to one another? Some of you have even gotten to the point you wish that person you are in conflict with...would just die, and be done with it. Even those outside the church have found some of these actions you do to one another as appalling and disgusting.
Doesn't all these things originate from...your own selfish desires? It comes from our old sensual desires whose entire focus in on...ourselves, and not for those around us. In other words, you simply want or desire things you don't have, and will do whatever it takes to get it, including the destruction of others...to obtain it.
You then devise schemes, birthed in jealousy and a "burning within" to take what another has, to the point where even death becomes an option( remembering that hatred and jealousy in the heart...is looked upon the same as murder in the eyes of the Lord). In fact, envy and anger growing within your heart will not be satisfied until you get a personal gratification.
And more often than not, you will not even consider to go to God the Father about matters like these...why?...because you know your motives are all wrong. You can't face the truth that your motives are based on your own selfish and sensual pleasures.
You act like a child that has become so spoiled...only wanting what you want...no matter what it may cost others."
People hurt everywhere in this world today...even among those around us...and I have to ask myself...."Do I even care?" Yet...we do have a Hope! He said things like: "Follow Me" and "I am the Way". It does therefore become possible do this...with Him!......
Unselfishness is defined as: "choosing to disregard your own personal advantages and focus for the welfare of another. Unselfishness can involve a multitude of personal choices ranging from offering genuine concern for the rights and feelings of others, being considerate as to what another may be facing, willing to share from a generous heart, and instead of a natural behavior to have your primary concern on yourself and exclude the needs of others, you now have been given a kind of strength to give yourself entirely to the needs of others, and exclude yourself."
We see these larger than life demonstrations in the world around us: soldiers giving their lives for the sake of our freedom, people giving their lives to help the hungry, others assisting children in dire needs, men and women dedicating their lives to medical breakthroughs, and still others given to the war against drug and sex trafficking.
Yet here in James 4, the passage seems to apply itself to the motives of our own hearts, dealing with issues and how we handle ourselves with those we are with...on a daily basis. It seems to be one of those "get personal" thoughts: how we treat the members of our own family, our concern for our friends and neighbors, or our attitudes toward those we see in our workplaces....all these things having a common denominator; that being to examine our lifestyle choices...within our daily encounters... and of course, not excluding our local church and how we treat one another in those arenas... of our lives.
James writes in this passage how the "desires of our heart" are often mistaken for the "desires for personal pleasure"...and when we don't get what we want...then we will fight to get it. We then move from giving God His rightful place in leading us to do the things that will benefit others and in turn benefit us, to taking on "The Masters of our Fate" attitude, and change the focus of life...to ourselves.
A Gleaning from James 4: 1-3
" Ask yourselves: What causes the strife and tensions among you? What is stirring these divisions, conflicts, and unwanted stress...that become so prevalent it leads to quarrels, fights, and to the point you no longer speak to one another? Some of you have even gotten to the point you wish that person you are in conflict with...would just die, and be done with it. Even those outside the church have found some of these actions you do to one another as appalling and disgusting.
Doesn't all these things originate from...your own selfish desires? It comes from our old sensual desires whose entire focus in on...ourselves, and not for those around us. In other words, you simply want or desire things you don't have, and will do whatever it takes to get it, including the destruction of others...to obtain it.
You then devise schemes, birthed in jealousy and a "burning within" to take what another has, to the point where even death becomes an option( remembering that hatred and jealousy in the heart...is looked upon the same as murder in the eyes of the Lord). In fact, envy and anger growing within your heart will not be satisfied until you get a personal gratification.
And more often than not, you will not even consider to go to God the Father about matters like these...why?...because you know your motives are all wrong. You can't face the truth that your motives are based on your own selfish and sensual pleasures.
You act like a child that has become so spoiled...only wanting what you want...no matter what it may cost others."
People hurt everywhere in this world today...even among those around us...and I have to ask myself...."Do I even care?" Yet...we do have a Hope! He said things like: "Follow Me" and "I am the Way". It does therefore become possible do this...with Him!......
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