Defecting
This week's goodness is found in James 4:4-5:
These verses stood out when I was reading today. Particularly the footnote to the last sentence, which describes other possible translations: that the spirit he caused to dwell in us envies intensely; or that the Spirit he caused to dwell in us longs jealously. It's fascinating to think of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, being all jealous of the things we focus our attention and hopes on. We know that God has emotions, and that he's a jealous God, but putting it the way James does really localizes it.
What is friendship with the world? If you're friends with someone, you seek out their company, share goals and experiences, and give up some of your own stuff to help them out. If you have two different friends with different goals and values and lifestyles, you end up having to choose between them. The guy who stays out drinking until 6am and the guy who likes to make it to Sunday school at 9am aren't going to have much in common. If you want to hang out with them both, you're going to have to make some choices. The same goes for God and the world we live in. His ways are not our ways, and if we find that we're investing a lot in our ways, we may find that we're not spending much on his ways.
James describes it like cheating on someone you're married to. He calls people who get wrapped up in the world "adulterous people." Like the time and energy and love we're supposed to give to God, the exclusivity of our devotion to him on that level, we're giving to sports and career and tv. The Holy Spirit, a part of God who dwells in us, is forced to take a front row seat and watch us cheat. He must burn with jealousy at some of the things we do, but still he has grace for us.
The story of the rich young man is a good example of what it's like to be friends with the world. Jesus (God) asks him to give away everything he's ever earned, to lazy poor people. Ouch! I know a bit about what that feels like, as I'm in a very expensive time of my life where various things are taking giant double digit percentages out of my life's savings. It seems like every week there's something that's completely necessary and also horrifically expensive. Part of me is like "No way! It took me a long time to earn that! I can't just give that to you for something that would either be free or a fraction of that back home!" Can you imagine having to do that with EVERYTHING though?
It was more than he could handle and he may have told Jesus (God) "No!" When we're that friendly with the world, God is our enemy. What else would you call someone who shows up on your doorstep demanding your house, your car, your brand new TV, and even the money you need to buy groceries and pay rent? Unless you know that person as a friend, and trust that they can provide more than they're asking, you'll chase them out of your life. You'd call the cops on them, if need be. Your stuff is a better friend to you than they are. The extent that it would be difficult to give that stuff up is the extent to which you're friends with the world.
The story of the good Samaritan is a good example too. The religious man, even though he was religious, passed by the guy who needed his love, instead of helping him. But picture it: You're supposed to speak in church, or interview for a really important job, you're running late, and there's a guy on the way who needs your help, but if you help him, you'll get all dirty. You won't collect a good offering if you're dirty, and you need that money to feed the kids. And you won't get the job if you're dirty and bloody, so you may lose your house. Meanwhile, you know that someone else is bound to come along to help the guy anyway, maybe. So what do you do?
All of the spiritual people with big heads are going to immediately say that they'd help the guy in the ditch, because they know it's the right answer. They peeked ahead when Jesus explained the story. But what if it was real? Would it be that easy to give up stuff you need in order to help the guy? The extent to which you'd hesitate or just assume someone else would help the victim in your place is the extent to which you've chosen to be friends with the world.
James says that friendship with the world is enmity against God. Enmity is being an enemy. Like you and God are stuck underwater, and you're scrabbling to rip the oxygen mask off his face so you can breathe. That paycheck, or that respect, or that TV show you've waited all day to see, are so precious to you that you would fight God like an enemy to have them. It's the scene in the movie where the the protagonist (God) and the villain (the world) are about to duel over the girl (you), and the girl chooses the loser (the world) and clings to him. It's out of order. It's an outrage.
Much like a husband desires faithfulness, some level of exclusivity, regular contact, and partnership, God desires that of us. Adultery is a despicable thing. If you commit adultery, you break an exclusive sacred agreement with someone you claim to love and deprive them of yourself, or you help someone to do that with someone they made that agreement with. There is no traditional culture that praises adultery. And yet that's us if we choose the world's enticements over God. We're scandalous, and the Holy Spirit is right there watching. Where else would he be?
Is there anything in our lives that would be worth defecting from the kingdom of God and joining the world? Is there anything in our "marriage" with God that we would hold tightly to and say "I'll divorce you before I let you have that!" to Him? Is there a temptation too great for us to withstand? See it for what it is! We've become adulterers and adulteresses over whatever that thing is. Stop before it's too late and throw yourself at God for his forgiveness. God has a lot of grace. We can start over. (Unless the world says "no," and makes enemies of us. But who is a better friend, really?)
You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us?
These verses stood out when I was reading today. Particularly the footnote to the last sentence, which describes other possible translations: that the spirit he caused to dwell in us envies intensely; or that the Spirit he caused to dwell in us longs jealously. It's fascinating to think of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, being all jealous of the things we focus our attention and hopes on. We know that God has emotions, and that he's a jealous God, but putting it the way James does really localizes it.
What is friendship with the world? If you're friends with someone, you seek out their company, share goals and experiences, and give up some of your own stuff to help them out. If you have two different friends with different goals and values and lifestyles, you end up having to choose between them. The guy who stays out drinking until 6am and the guy who likes to make it to Sunday school at 9am aren't going to have much in common. If you want to hang out with them both, you're going to have to make some choices. The same goes for God and the world we live in. His ways are not our ways, and if we find that we're investing a lot in our ways, we may find that we're not spending much on his ways.
James describes it like cheating on someone you're married to. He calls people who get wrapped up in the world "adulterous people." Like the time and energy and love we're supposed to give to God, the exclusivity of our devotion to him on that level, we're giving to sports and career and tv. The Holy Spirit, a part of God who dwells in us, is forced to take a front row seat and watch us cheat. He must burn with jealousy at some of the things we do, but still he has grace for us.
The story of the rich young man is a good example of what it's like to be friends with the world. Jesus (God) asks him to give away everything he's ever earned, to lazy poor people. Ouch! I know a bit about what that feels like, as I'm in a very expensive time of my life where various things are taking giant double digit percentages out of my life's savings. It seems like every week there's something that's completely necessary and also horrifically expensive. Part of me is like "No way! It took me a long time to earn that! I can't just give that to you for something that would either be free or a fraction of that back home!" Can you imagine having to do that with EVERYTHING though?
It was more than he could handle and he may have told Jesus (God) "No!" When we're that friendly with the world, God is our enemy. What else would you call someone who shows up on your doorstep demanding your house, your car, your brand new TV, and even the money you need to buy groceries and pay rent? Unless you know that person as a friend, and trust that they can provide more than they're asking, you'll chase them out of your life. You'd call the cops on them, if need be. Your stuff is a better friend to you than they are. The extent that it would be difficult to give that stuff up is the extent to which you're friends with the world.
The story of the good Samaritan is a good example too. The religious man, even though he was religious, passed by the guy who needed his love, instead of helping him. But picture it: You're supposed to speak in church, or interview for a really important job, you're running late, and there's a guy on the way who needs your help, but if you help him, you'll get all dirty. You won't collect a good offering if you're dirty, and you need that money to feed the kids. And you won't get the job if you're dirty and bloody, so you may lose your house. Meanwhile, you know that someone else is bound to come along to help the guy anyway, maybe. So what do you do?
All of the spiritual people with big heads are going to immediately say that they'd help the guy in the ditch, because they know it's the right answer. They peeked ahead when Jesus explained the story. But what if it was real? Would it be that easy to give up stuff you need in order to help the guy? The extent to which you'd hesitate or just assume someone else would help the victim in your place is the extent to which you've chosen to be friends with the world.
James says that friendship with the world is enmity against God. Enmity is being an enemy. Like you and God are stuck underwater, and you're scrabbling to rip the oxygen mask off his face so you can breathe. That paycheck, or that respect, or that TV show you've waited all day to see, are so precious to you that you would fight God like an enemy to have them. It's the scene in the movie where the the protagonist (God) and the villain (the world) are about to duel over the girl (you), and the girl chooses the loser (the world) and clings to him. It's out of order. It's an outrage.
Much like a husband desires faithfulness, some level of exclusivity, regular contact, and partnership, God desires that of us. Adultery is a despicable thing. If you commit adultery, you break an exclusive sacred agreement with someone you claim to love and deprive them of yourself, or you help someone to do that with someone they made that agreement with. There is no traditional culture that praises adultery. And yet that's us if we choose the world's enticements over God. We're scandalous, and the Holy Spirit is right there watching. Where else would he be?
Is there anything in our lives that would be worth defecting from the kingdom of God and joining the world? Is there anything in our "marriage" with God that we would hold tightly to and say "I'll divorce you before I let you have that!" to Him? Is there a temptation too great for us to withstand? See it for what it is! We've become adulterers and adulteresses over whatever that thing is. Stop before it's too late and throw yourself at God for his forgiveness. God has a lot of grace. We can start over. (Unless the world says "no," and makes enemies of us. But who is a better friend, really?)
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