subject: Relationship With God [print this page] Husbands, imagine this scenarioHusbands, imagine this scenario. You take your lovely wife to a restaurant and you seat her at the restaurant table. You say, Honey, if you will sit here, I am going to sit over at this other table with my girlfriend. Is that okay? Dont worry, honey, Ill take care of the meal. Its paid for, but I just dont want her to know that we are married. Is that a problem?
That is crazy. That is a marriage headed for disaster. We cannot, husbands, have two lovers. Its doesnt work. It never works. Its also true in our relationship with God. We cannot love him and the world. It doesnt happen. Its a battle that you will never win.
Now look in verse 6, James summarizes why we fight these wars, the Civil War, World War I, and the Holy War. Look what he says in verse six. It kind of sums it up right there. He says, But he gives us more grace.talking about GodThat is why Scripture says: God opposes the proudCircle that word proud mentally because we are going to talk about thatbut gives grace to the humble. God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Do you know the reason why we are involved in all these wars in our life? The root cause is pride. It is that pride ride that so many of us are on. Its our tendency to want to be in charge, to want to be our own god.
We say, God, I can take care of it. Dont worry. If I need you, I will call on you, but I have got it all under control.
Ed Young Pastor says that its that pride that causes us to be at battle with God, within ourselves and with other people. So what in the world can we do about it? How can we say to God, God, I am tired of fighting the battles. How do we negotiate a peace plan with God? How do we call a truce in our wars and in our battles? There is good news, because James tells us in the next few verses the white flags we need to wave. If we are serious about ending conflict and war in our lives, then there are three white flags that we need to wave.
Look in verse 7 at the first flag. James says this, Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
