Everyone Wants to Be Number One

1What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members?  2 You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. ³ You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. ⁴ You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. ⁵ Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: "He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us"? ⁶ But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, "GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE." ⁷ Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. ⁸ Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. ⁹ Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. ¹⁰ Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.  -James 4:1-10

The passage above reminds us that humanity tends to have a pre-occupation with self.  This is the primary reason that people can't get along.  We are obessessed with an inward focus that motivates us to pursue the things that please us.  When we don't get our way, the result is conflict.  Look around the world, our government, our communities, our families, and what do you see?  CONFLICT!  It is all around us.  For those of us being transformed by the power of the gospel, the conflict is within us as well, for God's Spirit within us has differnt desires and purposes then our flesh.  We are quick to gravitate to comfort and pleasure but this is not the way of Christ and His followers.  Note the strong language James uses above.  When we focus inward and make our desires the priority of our lives, we put ourselves in opposition to God.  This results in vulnerability to the temptations of Satan and when we are weak, we yield to temptation and this is destructive.

Instead of trying to be number one, we are to  recognize that the number one spot can only be occupied by God. When we submit to Him, we arm ourselves with humility to resist the attacks of the evil one.  Our view of others also comes into godly focus and we have a right relationship with others that strives for their best interest above our own.  This is the power of the gospel and the reason why we should live it and proclaim it to others.  As we look at the various conflicts all around us we must remember that ultimately at the core, these conflicts are a demonstration of opposition to God.  We must constantly "crucify" the inclinations of the flesh that attempt to push us to make idols of ourselves.  When we do so, we are able to properly draw near to God in wonder, amazement, awe, reverence, and worship.