Strange Yet Common Cause of All Conflicts

James 4:1
What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?

Conflicts are all around us. Conflicts among nations. Conflicts among communities. Conflicts within the family. Conflicts between individuals. Conflicts in church. Conflicts at the workplace. Conflicts everywhere. What causes conflicts and quarrels among you?

Apostle James in this Bible book asks us this question in order to give us a biblical answer. What causes conflicts and quarrels among you? Conflicts are not good. Conflicts create a bad environment. No one should ideally enjoy conflicts. So, what do you think causes it?

If we could avoid conflicts we would gladly do so. If we could live a life without conflicts we would be happier. It seems we can’t help being in a conflict that is why we are in it. What do you think causes it? If you know what causes conflicts you will seek to find a solution.

We read in books that conflicts are about resources, boundaries, sovereignty, misunderstanding, provocation, etc. The Bible says in our text today that conflicts begin from having a conflict within us, this is the first cause. A conflict of desires within an individual would lead that individual to initiate and sustain conflict with others. What that means is that if you see anyone in conflict with anyone else, it means they have conflicts within themselves!

James 4:2
You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God.

You desire what someone else has. But out of laziness or lack of ability, you do not get what you desire. For some reason within your ability or beyond your ability, you do not get what you desire. You get angry within you because you do not have what someone else has, and that initiates conflicts. The second reason is that someone wanted something and they did not get it, therefore they start a conflict. You lack the looks that someone else has so you start a conflict. You lack the success that someone else has so you start a conflict. Conflicts begin because you did not get what you wanted. When there is a conflict between individuals, we may wish to find out, who lacks what and help them be contented with not having it for now!

Thirdly, there is conflict because we do not ask God. We do not pray about it. We work hard without praying. Our best efforts fail us. We go to witch doctors instead of praying. We think God is too slow, so we stop praying. We think God’s answer is not so good so we seek our own answer. Conflicts start and are sustained by prayerless people who do not ask for things from God. If they pray, they do routine non-effective prayers. If those in conflict sincerely prayed for what they needed, the conflicts would cease.

James 4:3
When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

The fourth reason is that when we pray earnestly for anything, our motives are wrong. God knows our motives. He knows that if He grants what we are asking for, we will harm others. He knows that if He grants what we are asking for, we will be too proud to remain faithful to Him. God knows that when we get what we are asking for, no one around us will have peace. Therefore God doesn’t grant the request. Consequently, we start quarreling with those who have what we do not have because we can’t get it.

All conflicts begin from within an individual. All conflicts must be solved from within first. Desires drive the passion in conflict. The hatred in conflict is desires denied. There are two parties in every conflict. Both parties must examine themselves and not examine the other party. Do not sustain the conflict by responding to provocation. Seek God’s help to clean your heart and its desires. You are either the cause of conflict or you are sustaining it.

Matthew 5:9
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.

There is a blessing if we engage in peace-making. There is a blessing if we refuse to respond to provocation. There is a blessing if we do not fuel conflict. There is a blessing if we do not allow our desires to cause conflict with others. May God make us peacemakers!

Isaiah 9:6
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Jesus is the Prince of Peace. If we need peace we go to Jesus and no one else. If we pray and trust Jesus our conflicts will end. This is our prayer that conflicts end, in Jesus’ name, Amen!

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