August 19, 2025
James 4:1-6 (HCSB)
Proud or Humble
4 What is the source of wars and fights among you? Don’t they come from the cravings that are at war within you? 2 You desire and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. You do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and don’t receive because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your evil desires. 4 Adulteresses! Don’t you know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? So whoever wants to be the world’s friend becomes God’s enemy. 5 Or do you think it’s without reason the Scripture says that the Spirit who lives in us yearns jealously? 6 But He gives greater grace. Therefore He says: God resists the proud,
but gives grace to the humble.
Jonathan Finch
Let’s be honest–a lot of the time when we’re frustrated, we point the finger at other people. They’re the problem. They’re selfish. They hurt me. James hits different here. He basically says: “Nope. It starts with you.” We want what we want. We crave success, recognition, control, comfort, and when we don’t get it? We lash out. We hold grudges. We let bitterness sneak in. We start comparing, competing, and resenting. James calls it pride and pride doesn’t play nice with peace. But here’s the hope: God doesn’t shame us for our struggles, He offers us grace. More grace. That means even when we’ve let our ego drive the conversation or the conflict, God still invites us back to the posture of humility. It’s not the fight around you, it’s the war within you. Growing up playing sports I always assumed I had to beat the person across from me. Now that I’m older I wish I knew then what I know now. If you beat yourself and get a little better, you already won the day. The same holds true for our walk with the Lord. We need to quit comparing ourselves with others and focus on becoming a little stronger everyday. James says, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. ’If you’re tired of fighting people, of the tension, of always trying to win, maybe it’s time to surrender. Not to them, but to God. Peace doesn’t come when we finally get what we want but when we give God what He wants, our hearts.
Prayer: God, help me stop blaming others for what’s really going on inside me. Show me where pride is hiding in my heart and teach me to walk in humility. I want Your grace more than I want to be right. Amen
Proud or Humble
4 What is the source of wars and fights among you? Don’t they come from the cravings that are at war within you? 2 You desire and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. You do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and don’t receive because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your evil desires. 4 Adulteresses! Don’t you know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? So whoever wants to be the world’s friend becomes God’s enemy. 5 Or do you think it’s without reason the Scripture says that the Spirit who lives in us yearns jealously? 6 But He gives greater grace. Therefore He says: God resists the proud,
but gives grace to the humble.
Jonathan Finch
Let’s be honest–a lot of the time when we’re frustrated, we point the finger at other people. They’re the problem. They’re selfish. They hurt me. James hits different here. He basically says: “Nope. It starts with you.” We want what we want. We crave success, recognition, control, comfort, and when we don’t get it? We lash out. We hold grudges. We let bitterness sneak in. We start comparing, competing, and resenting. James calls it pride and pride doesn’t play nice with peace. But here’s the hope: God doesn’t shame us for our struggles, He offers us grace. More grace. That means even when we’ve let our ego drive the conversation or the conflict, God still invites us back to the posture of humility. It’s not the fight around you, it’s the war within you. Growing up playing sports I always assumed I had to beat the person across from me. Now that I’m older I wish I knew then what I know now. If you beat yourself and get a little better, you already won the day. The same holds true for our walk with the Lord. We need to quit comparing ourselves with others and focus on becoming a little stronger everyday. James says, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. ’If you’re tired of fighting people, of the tension, of always trying to win, maybe it’s time to surrender. Not to them, but to God. Peace doesn’t come when we finally get what we want but when we give God what He wants, our hearts.
Prayer: God, help me stop blaming others for what’s really going on inside me. Show me where pride is hiding in my heart and teach me to walk in humility. I want Your grace more than I want to be right. Amen
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