March 4, 2002
Hatred toward God
You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely? That is why Scripture says:
“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will lift you up. James 4:4-10
What does it mean to be friends with the world? To be friends with the world is to continually lust after more and more and more possessions, indulgences, kingdoms, etc. To be friends with the world is to be enslaved with the desire for comfort and luxury. To be friends with the world is to store up treasures here that moth, rust and decay will destroy. Opposite of this is to store up treasures in heaven, to put others before yourself, to reach to others and help when they need help, to sow seeds of peace and joy, to live a righteous and upright life. To be friends with the world is to be full of pride. Pride leads one to “keep up with the Joneses.” Now, this is not only in possessions, but in all things. If the “Joneses” have perfect children, a perfect spouse, perfect friends, then you must have them too. If the “Joneses” have a new car, new carpet, etc., then you must at least equal what they have. Have you ever made the statement, “If only….Then I will be happy?”
I know I have made that statement many times. If only I can have that new car, then I will be happy. If only my husband would treat me with respect, then I will be happy and treat him right. If only my children would address me with respect, then I will address them with respect. If only I could have… You get my drift. However, many of these if only’s have been given to me and yes, I was happy for a time. Then, there came a next if only. This is to be friends with the world: To live a life of if only’s; To want more than what you need; To want pleasure for the sake of pleasing yourself and yourself only. These are being friend’s with the world.
Now, we see here this does not please God, so what does he want? He wants us to repent! He wants us to show a broken spirit and a contrite heart. He wants us to grieve for the wrongs we have done. He wants us to turn around and go the other way. He wants to remove the pride from our lives and to replace it with true humility. Humility is Jesus. Or maybe I should say, Jesus is humility. Jesus, the King of Kings, the Creator of all things that were created, the Lord of Lord’s, came, not in splendor, but in humility. He was not born in a palace of gold, but a stable that stunk. That is humility. Once again, I am not saying we have to live in squalor. However, we must live according to the Word of God. We must have his heart in all things. We must realize that all things are his and to be used for his glory alone. We must be humble that HE may lift us up.
Father, forgive me for pride. Forgive me for that constant lust after more. Lord, forgive me that nothing is ever enough and that I always seem to want more. Lord, I do not want to be in a friendship with the world. I want to be your friend, like Abraham. Lord, in Jesus name, I surrender all my hopes, my dreams, my possessions, my desires to you. Lord, in Jesus name, I fall on my face before you, mourning and wailing for I have sinned. In Jesus name, forgive me of my sin, restore me to your path, and let me walk in humility, amen.
All rights reserved: Amy Seelbach
To be added to the devotionals mailings, click on the button below.
