"What causes these fights and quarrels among you? Is it not your cravings, that make war within your own selves? When you long for something you cannot have, you kill for it, and when you do not get what you desire, you squabble and fight. The fact is, you do not have what you want, because you do not pray for it. You pray for something, and you do not get it, because you pray with the wrong motive, of indulging your pleasures. You adulterers! Don't you know, that making friends with the world makes you enemies of GOD? Therefore, whoever chooses to be the world's friend becomes GOD's enemy.
Can you not see the point of the saying in Scripture: 'The longing of the spirit, HE sent to dwell in us, is a jealous longing?' But GOD has something better to give, and Scripture also says, GOD opposes the proud but HE gives HIS favor to the humble. Give in, then, to GOD; resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw close to GOD and HE will come close to you. Clean your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you doubters. Recognize your distress, be miserable and weep. Turn your laughter into tears and your joy into sadness. Humble yourselves before the LORD and HE will raise you up." - James 4:1-10
(You pray with the wrong motive. James tells us that prayer obtains for us things that enable us to respond to GOD's plan [see 1:5-8]. Our prayers will not be heard if love for the world takes the place of GOD in our hearts.
What is the friendship with the world that prevents our being heard? GOD asks us to love all the things HE created, viewing them as means of reaching HIM, and to reject what does not serve this purpose. Loving the world is wishing for and clinging to things, without looking beyond them for GOD HIMSELF and the brothers and sisters that HE gave us. It is adultery in the same sense as the phrase from the Gospel: "No one can serve two masters" [Matthew 6:24]. We cannot divide our love between GOD and the world; neither can we ask GOD to help us satisfy egotistical ambitions.)
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