James gets straight to the heart of our struggles—our battles with others start with the wars inside us. Jealousy. Selfish ambition. Earthly wisdom. Worldly desires. These things drive a wedge between us and the life God designed for us—with Him, with each other, and with our Gospel mission
And when that happens? We stop seeing God as our provider—the giver of every good and perfect gift. We get distracted. We doubt. We grow distant.
In the middle of that distance, our prayers dry up. They become empty. Or maybe they stop altogether.
We lack because we don’t ask. And if or when we do ask, what’s driving it? Is it desperation for God—or for something else? Be honest. Are you chasing what won’t satisfy instead of seeking His heart? Our motives get corrupted, polluted by our flesh. We start longing for things that were never meant to fulfill us. And then, we wonder why God feels distant. Why our prayers seem to hit the ceiling. If we’re not careful, we let the lie take root—that God isn’t listening, that He isn’t answering.
But could the problem be us? Our lack of prayer? Or the misguided intent behind it?
We begin to rely on our strength, our pursuits, our will. Instead of resting in Him, trusting Him, asking Him, we take control.
We read about the Israelites and shake our heads at their lack of faith. How could they? we think. If I had walked through the Red Sea on dry ground… if I had eaten manna from heaven… if I had seen fire leading me by night and a pillar of cloud by day—I wouldn’t have doubted God.
But let’s be real. Aren’t we just like them?
We’ve tasted His goodness, yet we let the world distract us. We’ve experienced His love, yet we trade it for something cheap and temporary. God parts our Red Seas, provides for our needs, leads us by His Spirit—yet the world lures us away. It tempts us to compromise, to lower our guard, to chase after what will never satisfy.
It starts small. A little compromise here. A little distraction there. Then, before we know it—we want more. More status. More possessions. More validation. And suddenly, we’re restless. Jealous. Unsatisfied. If we’re not careful, we slide down a dangerous path—our affections shifting from God to the things of this world.
And before we know it, we’ve drifted from our first love.
Jesus.
Think about it—when was the last time you truly rested in God’s presence? Not for what He could give you, but simply to know Him? To worship. To be in awe and wonder. Content.
Imagine a child, leaving behind a warm home—love, safety, everything they need—only to wander into a cold, empty street. Lost. Alone. Choosing poverty and addiction over a father’s embrace. Or a spouse, trading faithful, devoted love for a fleeting moment of passion, only to be left broken, used. Discarded.
Why do we do this?
Was His love too much to embrace? Was His grace too overwhelming? Why do we keep trading gold for crumbs?
That’s what we do when we wander from God. We begin to dethrone Him from our hearts, thinking we can rule ourselves. We make ourselves His enemy.
That’s a terrifying thought. I wouldn’t want to be an enemy of a mediocre MMA fighter, let alone Yahweh, the King of the universe. And yet—that’s exactly what we become when we choose the world over Him. How heartbreaking it must be for God to see His chosen people drift. Drifting into spiritual adultery.
James tells us that when we wander, it stirs a holy jealousy in God. Not a petty or insecure jealousy, but a righteous one—a deep longing for us to see His goodness and choose Him over the empty things of this world. It’s a protective, loving jealousy. He knows what’s best for us. He knows His worth. He hates to see us settle for less. When we trade His fullness for fleeting pleasures, we dishonor His name. The God who created us, pursued us, died for us, rescued us—He longs for our hearts. And when we chase the world, we trample on the love He’s poured out for us. We grieve His Spirit within us.
So what about you?
Have you wandered? Have you been chasing things that will never satisfy? Maybe you feel that emptiness. That ache in your soul.
You have become the prodigal.
It’s not too late.
Right now, wherever you are—driving, at work, home—just pause. Take a deep breath.
Come home. Walk. Run.
He sees you coming. His arms are open. His love hasn’t changed. He’s not done with you.
And when we return? He gives more grace.
Lord, forgive us. We are so quick to wander. Open our eyes to see how foolish it is to chase after the fleeting things of this world. Humble us, Lord. Help us grasp the weight of Your goodness and the emptiness of everything else.
Draw us back to You, our first love.
Amen.
”What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”?” James 4:1-5
ESV Study Bible. (2010). Crossway Books.
From Talk Scripture: Friend of the World, Enemy of God | James 4:1-5
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