Original: July 19, 2007
1 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? 2 You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. James 4:1-3
It may be the greatest fight in the history of America.
It is a fight with rematch after rematch after rematch. Unlike the words of Apollo Creed in the classic movie Rocky, “There ain’t gonna be a rematch” these competitors never cease fighting. These families will fight to the bitter end- the end of their credit limits, the end of their mortgages, the end of the equity lines, the end of their kids’ college funds, and the end of the line.
It is the fight of Jones versus Jones.
How often have you jokingly laughed that you were just trying to, “keep up with the Joneses?” I have even said that I was “Jonesing” for something to appease some need or want in my life. “Jonesing” can only be satisfied by pulling the trigger on some temporal counterfeit designed to release some materialistic pressures caused by greed and selfishness.
Heck, “I deserve it.”
Do I?
Verses 1 and 3 mention the word “pleasures” which is the Greek word “hedonon”, which is where we get the English word Hedonism. Hedonism is the belief in and pursuit of pleasure. Pleasure is the end of all things for the hedonist (pursuer of pleasure). Pleasure is god for the hedonist. Pleasure is on the throne. Pleasure directs our gifts, talents and resources.
Take this test, men. Where do your time, talents, and resources go? Are they spent on your life, your pleasures and your pursuits with no regard for God’s kingdom?
You, like the majority of men in churches across America, are a hedonist.
When an embarrassing 20 percent of people give or serve in most local churches it is safe to say that pleasure is lord in our churches on not Christ. The Church had placed King Hedonism on the throne with King Jesus sitting in the shadows somewhere in the back. We have said I will worship you Jesus IF you move over a bit so King Hedonism can help me out with my credit cards, mortgage payments, expensive vacations, and storage units. Many churches even admit to a “name it and claim it” prosperity gospel with King Jesus and King Hedonism working together so that we might be more “empowered” to keep up with “The Joneses”!
What a bunch of garbage!
The truth is quite different: Prosperity and affluence do not lead us to peace, but conflict. Conflict is a price to pay with prosperity. With prosperity come greed, selfishness, materialism and competition. With prosperity come great commitments of time to fix and maintain all our stuff.
Maybe that is why Jesus said, "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me" (Mark 10:21).
Do you really need that big of a house? Do really need more than one house? Do you really need to sell that perfectly good car because you like the consumer reports on this one better? Come on, when will we be satisfied. I am appalled at books that have made their way into the church that have deceived many believers into the pursuit of affluence instead of the pursuit of Jesus. Didn’t Jesus promise us “all these things” if we seek him first (Matthew 6:33).
I have never heard that claim from King Hedonism, or the Joneses.
I bet I never will.
Where have you been deceived into trusting in King Hedonism in your life? What do you need to give away in order to purge your faith of this deception?
