"What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?... You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight…” (James 4:1-2)
If there’s one thing that kills unity, it’s our desire to have what we want. I know this all too well. There have been times when I get home after a long day, and what I really want to do is just sit down and rest, not realizing my wife has also had a long day, and what she really wants when I get home is for me to take care of some things. We each want something, but we’re each posing a threat to what we want, and unless someone is willing to be a little selfless, it’s a recipe for an argument and a momentary break in fellowship as husband and wife. Have you been there?
This recipe for conflict and division can pop up in any of our relationships, especially when we’re struggling to practice Christlike selflessness. This week, ask God to help you live like Jesus in all your relationships. Pursue humility. Be willing to set aside what you want. Make Romans 12:18 your prayer: “as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone."
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