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.
I clearly see here that humans have more desires than they can possibly humanly ever have fulfilled. Because the resources are limited and they see others who have the resources they want, we experience the ill effects of quarrels, fights, wars, murders, and coveteousness. The last word, passions, reminds us why we see this happening in our world.
Here's where Christ-likeness enters the picture. Jesus really only has one desire or all-consuming pasion, and that is glorifying the Father. He has no ulterior motives!! However, other people (saved and unsaved alike) are often driven by a plethora of (sometimes conflicting) motives. It should not surprise us that strife is a daily part of life.
So how can we eliminate these quarrels, fights, wars, murders, and coveteousness?
But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. (James 4:6-10)
Just another list of rules, right? Well, yes, but not really. The emphasis is the first line of verse 6: “But he gives more grace!!” We can become more Christ-like through grace, and only through grace!
. . . and I can assure you that you won't learn about grace in economics. . .
