Ye ask amiss

Jas 4:1 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?
Jas 4:2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.
Jas 4:3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.


Some might say outright that these verses don't really apply to them because they're living in a time when wars and fighting, killing to get what they desire is …well… unheard of. They're above all that fighting, war, killing stuff- that's for governments and they have no say so in what the government does. To actually fight, war, kill those around them that's not heard of except maybe in your street gangs and drug cartels, the mafia and the other organized crime syndicates. The average person just doesn't do that so these verses don't apply. WRONG.

Do you remember what Jesus said--

Mat 5:21 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
Mat 5:22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment

And…

Mat 5:27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:
Mat 5:28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

Killing, fighting, warring -- while all these things can be done on a grand scale and while all these things can be done on an organized level- every single one of these things can be done on a personal-internal level as well without us ever raising a finger to shed actual blood. Seriously, we are in danger if our hearts are filled with wicked desires, even if they are never acted upon.

Let's for a moment just take a look at fighting among ourselves- do those fights come from the lusts that war in us? The lust of anger, the lust of selfishness, the lust of …well anything that becomes an overpowering wrong desire? When we fight there is a reason behind it, what are those reasons? I've noticed in myself more and more just how incredibly self-motivated I am and not in a particularly good way. If I don't agree with something I'm quick to voice that. If I feel put out I'm quick to grumble about that. How do we stop ourselves from being self-orientated? Seriously, how? I know people who go out of their way to help others- thinking nothing of their own imposition. You ask them to help and they are quick to do so, no hesitation at all. I long to be a person like that, not to be that person but to have those same attributes that seem so amazingly selfless.

Jas 4:3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

We can ask all we want for what we believe are things we need or simply desire- but God who searches our hearts knows why we want the things we ask for. God knows if our motives are selfish or selfless.

Psa 44:21 Shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart.

God knows the secrets of our heart. God knows us- He knows the reasons for all we ask.

Consuming anything upon our lusts is not a good thing- it's pure selfishness. We are to be selfless- not selfish, not self-centered, not self-motivated.

It sounds so easy and yet is it so hard to give up self.

Psa 139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:
Psa 139:24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

This is my prayer, my desperate, desperate prayer.

I don't want to be filled with lusts, with selfish desires, with selfishness, I long to be LED in the way everlasting.

Please Lord, help us to not 'ask amiss' when we petition You, help us to stop fighting, to stop the upsets, the envying, the strife among ourselves. Please help us to give ourselves fully over to You and Your love seeking only You and Your righteousness.

Amen.