James 4 by asking us to take a look inside our hearts, our families, and our relationships in our churches to identify the source of our quarreling and fighting. James asks in verse 1, “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?” When James refers to “passions,” he uses the word more frequently translated “pleasures” from which we get our English word “hedonism.” Each of the 5 times the word is used in the New Testament it has a negative connotation. James identifies the source of our quarrels and conflicts being that our pleasures are at war within our members. One person’s pursuit of pleasure is in conflict with another person’s pursuit of pleasure.
The problem is not necessarily what we want, but how badly we want it. Even good things we desire can become bad things when we make them ultimate things that displace the centrality of God in our lives.
Questions:
- What are some ways you’ve seen selfish desires for pleasure cause conflict in your relationships?
- How can you replace lusting after your own pleasure with seeking the good of others?
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