Journal ~ JamesSample

 GETCHA HEAD IN THE GAME 

As I ruminate on this chapter, The Rolling Stones’ “You Can't Always Get What You Want” plays continuously in my head. There’s nothing I can do about it. It’s stuck. I think about James 4 and try to tamp down the musical loop, but gave up and came to realize that James was talking about transforming our wants.

At first glance, the idea might seem slightly preposterous. I want what I want. There’s nothing I can do about it. In his letter, James talks about realigning our wants and desires to that of Christ. He admonishes the diaspora (the Jewish people scattered around the Greco-Roman empire) and tells them that they have been ruled by their selfish desires, and the consequences have been bad. He mentioned fights and quarrels and murder due to unfulfilled wants. While he does admonishes the people about quarreling and fighting, the point was simple: you’re going about things the wrong way. Definitely not God’s way.

James is saying to the people, “You have the wrong focus! You're focusing on obtaining things to make you feel good about yourself.” When we are driven by our desires and pleasures, we open ourselves to dissension and strife and broken relationships. And we don't even get what we want.

Are there parts of our lives that are driven by our selfish desires and pursuit of pleasure? Take some time today to ask God to transform our wants to his.