A few weeks ago I wrote He Knows. It started out entitled, “Stronger Together”. That’s because I was floundering. I had so many thoughts going on. I was thinking about racism and what’s at the heart of the matter, but hesitant to speak up about it. I don’t plan these posts out as many bloggers do. Like my novels, I write by the seat of my pants. But God uses it. Just like he used my meandering post as a precursor to the one I finally wrote last week on racism: Injustice.
Today, I’m still thinking along those lines. My question is: why can’t we all get along?
“What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you?” – James 4:1
We have desires. Some are good. Some are bad. But when we’re more interested in satisfying our own needs and desires, when they become more more important to us than God or others, even the good desires turn sour. For example:
- Security
- Love
- Understanding
- Acceptance
These are all good, God-given desires He wants us to have. There is nothing wrong with wanting these things! But when we focus on our good, godly desires … essentially … when we become selfish, putting ourselves and our desires first, we tend to suffer unwanted consequences.
For example:
Security – Good desire turned bad: When our desire for security turns into feeling betrayed because someone failed to protect us and/or develops into distrust of people to the extent that we put walls up around ourselves. Potential consequence: We miss out on other needs like love, understanding, and acceptance because we’ve shut others out.
Love – Good desire turned bad: When our need for love turns into running into the wrong arms repeatedly or traps us in a loveless marriage.
Potential consequence: We deepen the void in our hearts and either give up and become bitter or continue to seek love in the wrong places and leave a trail of hurt behind.
Understanding – Good desire turned bad: When our desire for understanding turns into despising those who are different and can’t understand us. Potential consequence: We sew discord and hate within our families and into our communities even to future generations. And we miss out on love and acceptance, because, let’s face it…even among the same race and culture we have different experiences. None of us can truly understand one another other.
Acceptance – Good desire turned bad: When our desire for acceptance turns into isolating ourselves for fear of rejection or creating an isolated community that shuts others out. Potential consequence: We miss out on so much those others have to offer and likely experiencing true acceptance.
As I said, these are all good, God-given desires. But, turned inward, seeking fulfillment outside of God with a disregard toward others, they’re evil. When we’re selfish, we fail to receive our deepest desires. We are our own worst enemy.
Let’s turn it around.
Security – Good desire focused on God and others: When our desire for security looks to God for protection and seeks to protect others. Outcome: Free from unrealistic expectations on others, they don’t disappoint us. And if we focus on God and others, we’re not over-analyzing our own issues and allowing negative thoughts to control us.
“It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in people.” – Psalm 118:8
Love – Good desire focused on God and others: When our need for love turns to loving God and others above ourselves. Outcome: We find love in the arms of Christ and, because of our selflessness toward others, we draw them near and inadvertently receive their love because real love is only possible with God.
“We love each other because he loved us first.” – 1 John 4:19
Understanding – Good desire focused on God and others: When our desire for understanding turns to seeking to know and understand God and others. Outcome: We find that God knows us better than we know ourselves. He understands and still loves us. This gives us the power to reach out to others to point them to Christ and true understanding.
“O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord.” – Psalm 139:1-4
Acceptance – Good desire focused on God and others: When our desire for acceptance turns to accepting God’s offer of adoption into His family and reaching out to others to offer that acceptance. Outcome: We find that we belong to the loving body of Christ that will outlast this lifetime. We will never be rejected.
“But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.” – John 1:12
“However, those the Father has given me will come to me, and I will never reject them.” – John 6:37
“Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory.” – Romans 15:7
Do you have discord in your life? Perhaps you need to stop seeking to fulfill your needs outside of Christ.
“Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength? Why pay for food that does you no good? Listen to me, and you will eat what is good. You will enjoy the finest food.” – Isaiah 55:2
Trust Him to meet all your needs.
“And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:19
Let Him comfort you so you can comfort others.
“All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.” – 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
God gives us rules because He loves us. He knows what’s best for us. He doesn’t want us to suffer consequences. As the only perfect Father, He wants us to live within the protection of what He knows is right and good.
“Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” – Matthew 22:37-40
The world says to “follow your heart” and “do what makes you happy.” Most of us have bought the lies. Why wouldn’t we? It sounds great! But we’ve been so indoctrinated by this world we actually believe the lies to the extent that what Jesus says sounds completely backwards.
“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” – Romans 12:2
God isn’t backward. We are. Let’s turn it around.
Let’s all get along.
You are loved,
J F Rogers