Over the weekend, I had to nurse a very severe sore throat. I saw it coming actually but did not do anything to prevent it from worsening. I am not known to be a great lover of spicy food, preferring to take them in moderation. My sore throat could have started by me taking a little bit of spicy food here and there (starting off with Mother's Day dinner celebration last Sunday), and adding chilli to my noodles, culminating the week with prata and chicken curry. On Friday evening, I bought herbal tea to drink and popped a panadol for my headache. When one has a very severe sore throat, sleeping becomes difficult as the throat tends to get very dry and swallowing becomes very painful. That was what happened to me on Friday night/Saturday morning where I barely got a good night's rest. I woke up to gurgle my throat with salt water. I managed to get some sleep after that.
On Saturday, I was debating whether to see a doctor as I did not feel feverish. I googled on home remedies for sore throat and discovered that regular gurgling with salt water does help. So I tried it with warm salt water and avoided food with chilli or hot spices. I felt much better on Sunday morning; the pain wasn't as intense as the day before. I continued with my salt water gurgle, suck lozenges, drank water and honey to hydrate and cool my throat. Now as I write this, my throat is 80% recovered - thank God for the 'anti-septic' nature of salt to bring about such healing. The morale of the whole story is that there is always a cause and effect to the nature of things that happen. The apostle Paul instructed his protege Timothy not to drink only water but to use a little wine for his frequent stomach ailments (1 Tim 5:23). The cause of Timothy's illness was probably due to contaminated water and Timothy, being a godly man, did not want to set a bad example for his parishioners by drinking wine. Hence the counsel by Paul to drink a little wine.
I was reading a health-related book that says toxic wastes build up in our body when we eat too many impure, processed foods and we don't give our body a chance to rest and get rid of them. Our body will naturally try to purify and cleanse itself, the way God has made it. Eating food the way God made it helps in flushing out all the poisons in our body system. Fruits and vegetables are eliminating and cleansing foods and are alkaline forming. Starches and proteins are body builders and are acid forming. We always want a more alkaline body, as too acidic a condition breeds disease. There must be a proper balance in the different categories of food intake. Poisons move out of the body when raw or properly cooked fruits and vegetables are eaten. I always try to have a healthy dosage of fruits and vegetables daily plus plenty of plain water. As we grow older, we have to cut down on our salt, sugar and carbo intake. And it does take a lot of discipline to keep our body in check. May God grant us the wisdom to make wise choices in our daily diet, both for ourselves and our loved ones.
Monday, May 20, 2013
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Sing Shout Clap Your Hands
I spoke at the Saturday's service last week at BC. Here's an except of what I shared in relation to encountering God through worship based on Psalm 98.
Ps 95 – 98 is part of what is known as the royal psalms, celebrating God as King. Ps 98 is a celebration of God’s great love and redemption. It was probably written to celebrate the deliverance of the Jews from the Babylonian captivity but also prophetically, the redemption of the world by Jesus Christ and its coming judgment.
Worship is an active response to God whereby we declare His worth. We come collectively in response to what He has done for us. The heart of worship is the worship of the heart; God is actively looking for worshippers who will worship Him in spirit and in truth (Jn 4:23). Not that God is lacking anything because He’s complete and sufficient. When we creatures come before the Creator in worship, we find ourselves in the centre of His desire.
Worship should not be passive but participative. Heart worship and body worship are not mutually exclusive; God has made us to be both spiritual and physical. Out of the abundance of the heart (all that is within me), our body responds to God’s initiatives in our live. The 3 stanzas (3 verses each) progressively extend the call to worship God from the congregants in the temple to the people of the earth and then to the whole of creation; from singing to shouting and clapping.
We are encouraged to sing to the Lord a new song – a song of praise that celebrates God’s deliverance or blessing; such a song that has not been sung before. When Pharaoh’s horses, chariots and horsemen were drowned in the Red Sea , Miriam took a tambourine and sang this song:
“Sing to the LORD, for he is highly exalted.
The horse and its rider he had hurled into the sea.”
Ex 15:21 (NIV)
We have in our day many songs of redemption and of the cross. New songs are also sung in heaven by the 4 living creatures and the 24 elders: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals…” (Rev 5:9) and by the redeemed of the Lord (Rev 14:3). Do you have a new song to sing to the Lord? The reason why we can sing praises to God is because of His love and faithfulness towards us (v 3). He is our righteous Saviour whose works of redemption rings across the ages.
The tempo of worship is raised a notch higher (emotions involved) when the psalmist enjoins the earth to shout for joy to the Lord. Shouting here goes with boastful adoration – jubilant song with music accompaniment of the harp, trumpet and horn. Shouting is associated with victory. The walls of Jericho
The second coming of Jesus Christ would be preceded by a trumpet blast and a mighty shout. “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.” (1 Th 4:16).
The reason why we can shout with jubilation is because the LORD is our King – He is to be crowned King of kings.
Finally, the psalmist enjoins all of creation – those in the sea and on the earth, animate and inanimate objects to clap and sing for joy before the Lord. Hands are unique creation of God; they can perform complicated surgical operations and play beautiful music on instruments. Yet they are instruments by themselves to give praise to God. Clapping of hands is often an expression of support and gratitude. It typically accompanies singing and makes a beautiful melody when the congregation is clapping together. Clapping cheers the spirits and gets everybody involved so that they feel free to move and take part in praising God.
The reason why we can sing, shout and clap our hands is because God is our righteous Judge who would be coming back very soon to judge the earth with equity. So what are you waiting for? Begin to praise and worship God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength (Mk 12:30).
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Learning to Connect
I am currently reading a book by John Maxwell entitled "Everyone communicates few connect". It is a useful book for those who would like to connect with people either at the individual level or at a collective level. The latter is for those who wants to connect with an audience when makinng a presentation, whether at work, church or social functions.
Let me share some thoughts on how to connect at the individual level based on some pointers in the book. There are certainly many opportunities in life to talk to people, be they familiar to us or not. In order to establish relationship with others, there is a need to take the initiative. Don't wait for others to do so. Be the first to offer assistance or start a conversation. People are generally willing to talk to you if you expend energy to converse with them first. I find this to be true during coffee fellowship after church service.
Once we get past the discomfort in initiating a conversation, the next thing to do is to find common ground for connecting. To do so, we have to pay attention or listen to the person. We have to be others-focused or in the words of the apostle Paul "not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others" (Phil 2:4). One good way to start off conversation is to ask general questions relating to family, occupation, recreation and message (FORM). The last is to find out from them what they thought of the message they have heard. This can very well branch off to issues that could be close to the person's heart.
When we are able to get a conversation going, we should be not be judgmental in our posture but seek to really understand and clarify issues raised. Asking "why" questions would be a good way to seek clarification. We can proffer our views on issues raised but there is no need to be condescending towards the person(s) we are talking to. The important thing is to keep the communication channels open so that the next time there is another opportunity to meet the rapport would have already been established.
Connection goes beyond simply communicating; it seeks ways to make people feel good and accepted. This takes time and energy, but the effort put in would be well worth it as people would appreciate and remember it.
Let me share some thoughts on how to connect at the individual level based on some pointers in the book. There are certainly many opportunities in life to talk to people, be they familiar to us or not. In order to establish relationship with others, there is a need to take the initiative. Don't wait for others to do so. Be the first to offer assistance or start a conversation. People are generally willing to talk to you if you expend energy to converse with them first. I find this to be true during coffee fellowship after church service.
Once we get past the discomfort in initiating a conversation, the next thing to do is to find common ground for connecting. To do so, we have to pay attention or listen to the person. We have to be others-focused or in the words of the apostle Paul "not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others" (Phil 2:4). One good way to start off conversation is to ask general questions relating to family, occupation, recreation and message (FORM). The last is to find out from them what they thought of the message they have heard. This can very well branch off to issues that could be close to the person's heart.
When we are able to get a conversation going, we should be not be judgmental in our posture but seek to really understand and clarify issues raised. Asking "why" questions would be a good way to seek clarification. We can proffer our views on issues raised but there is no need to be condescending towards the person(s) we are talking to. The important thing is to keep the communication channels open so that the next time there is another opportunity to meet the rapport would have already been established.
Connection goes beyond simply communicating; it seeks ways to make people feel good and accepted. This takes time and energy, but the effort put in would be well worth it as people would appreciate and remember it.
Friday, April 12, 2013
Water Baptism
At the recent church baptism service, I encouraged the candidates and the people present to
Be: being precedes doing - Mary has chosen the one thing that is necessary ie. to sit at Jesus' feet (Lk 10:41-42)
A
People: we are a special people because God has chosen us and showered His mercies on us (1 Pet 2:9)
Transformed: in our attitude, behaviour and concern for others (2 Cor 5:17)
Into
Spiritual
Maturity: the writer to the Hebrews remind us to grow up and not be dependent on milk; instead we ought to study and apply God's Word in our lives - through constant use we are able to discern good and evil (Heb 5:12-14)
Goinng through water baptism is not a badge that Christians acquire in their faith pilgrimage but rather a pledge before God and the congregation to live a life worthy of God's calling. Hence there is a need to strive towards spiritual maturity - to become more like Jesus. How do we go about doing so?
Firstly, like Mary of old, we need to imbibe the Word of God and talk to Him in prayer on a daily basis.
Secondly, as God's chosen people and royal priesthood, we are to worship God regularly and witness to His eternal grace and mercies.
Thirdly, we need the help of the Holy Spirit to transform us into Christ's image (1 Sam 10:6).
Fourthly, we must not only be hearers but doers of God's Word; it is only through obedience that we grow towards spiritual maturity.
The life of King Saul showed us that one can be anointed of the Lord but yet fail through disobedience (1 Sa 15:22-23). The words highligted in bold above are all the necessary ingredients for Christian growth and maturity. May you grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (2 Pet 3:18)..
Be: being precedes doing - Mary has chosen the one thing that is necessary ie. to sit at Jesus' feet (Lk 10:41-42)
A
People: we are a special people because God has chosen us and showered His mercies on us (1 Pet 2:9)
Transformed: in our attitude, behaviour and concern for others (2 Cor 5:17)
Into
Spiritual
Maturity: the writer to the Hebrews remind us to grow up and not be dependent on milk; instead we ought to study and apply God's Word in our lives - through constant use we are able to discern good and evil (Heb 5:12-14)
Goinng through water baptism is not a badge that Christians acquire in their faith pilgrimage but rather a pledge before God and the congregation to live a life worthy of God's calling. Hence there is a need to strive towards spiritual maturity - to become more like Jesus. How do we go about doing so?
Firstly, like Mary of old, we need to imbibe the Word of God and talk to Him in prayer on a daily basis.
Secondly, as God's chosen people and royal priesthood, we are to worship God regularly and witness to His eternal grace and mercies.
Thirdly, we need the help of the Holy Spirit to transform us into Christ's image (1 Sam 10:6).
Fourthly, we must not only be hearers but doers of God's Word; it is only through obedience that we grow towards spiritual maturity.
The life of King Saul showed us that one can be anointed of the Lord but yet fail through disobedience (1 Sa 15:22-23). The words highligted in bold above are all the necessary ingredients for Christian growth and maturity. May you grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (2 Pet 3:18)..
Monday, March 25, 2013
Memory
One of the signs of old age is memory lapses. Sometimes we forget where we put our things. At one time, I misplaced my key pouch, containing my house keys. We are also creatures of habit and usually like to put things in a usual place. So when I tried to retrieve my key pouch from the side pocket of my car door (where I usually put it), I found it wasn't there; instead I found a packet of sweets. I thought I left my key pouch at home and went up to my flat to search for it. But it wasn't at home either. Of course at this point in time, I was scratching my head (or memory) to ascertain where my key pouch could have gone. Could I have dropped it somewhere? I breathed a prayer to God. I went back to my car to have a closer look and did some searching. I opened up the glove compartment, lo and behold it was there! At that point, my memory came back to piece the jigsaw. I remembered earlier I took a sweet from the glove compartment and somehow by mistake I left the key pouch in the compartment and the sweet in the side pocket.
Such memory lapses are not as bad as those that progresses towards total memory loss leading to Alzheimer's disease or those related to dementia. People will forget events and not recognise themselves or those that they love. I remember an elderly brother in church who often asked me to pray for his memory as he fears losing it. One way to keep our grey matter (and memory) working in our old age is to do things that would engage our mind such as reading, playing mahjong, doing crosswor puzzles, having a conversation with people, etc. Not forgetting to eat healthily and have regular exercise to keep the blood circulating in our brain. It is certainly not an easy thing to take care of a person who is suffering from dementia; it would take a toll on the care-givers. So we can do our loved ones a great favour by taking care of our own physical and mental health.
Our memory is at its best when we are young. That's why it's important to teach our children (whether knowledge, skills, values or attitudes) when they are still below the age of 10. The Bible instructs us, "Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, 'I find no pleasure in them'" (Eccl 12:1). Troubles will definitely come in life and if our children do not have anchors for their souls, they would be tossed about in a sea of distress and confusion. As such, in the foundational years of our children, they should be brought up in the fear and instruction of the Lord through age-appropriate, fun activities that direct their thoughts and meditation toward God. We used to have regular family time when our children we much younger comprising of 4 components: Worship, Bible reading, Prayer and Games. Because there were four of us, we rotate about taking charge of each component. The Games component was the one that the children enjoyed the most as they had lots of fun.
This is holy week and we remember our Lord's death on the cross through the sacrament of holy communion which Jesus instituted. God knows that we are frail humans who forget His goodness and grace easily; that's why the emblems (bread and wine) are there to remind us. The children of Israel celebrated the Passover to remind their descendants of God's deliverance from death and slavery. An act by our Lord which is not often enacted by the Protestant church is the washing of the disciples feet. Through this act, Jesus wants His church to demonstrate humility in service, just as He came to serve and not to be served. While we remember God and His works, God also remembers us! One of the dying thieves on the cross asked Jesus to remember him when He comes in His kingdom (Lk 23:42). Jesus promised that he would be with Him in paradise that very same day. We are also told that a book of remembrance will be written for those who fear and serve the Lord (Mal 3:16-18), and the Lord knows those who are His (2 Tim 2:19). What a comforting thought! Should the time come when our memory fails us, we know that the Lord would not fail to remember us.
Such memory lapses are not as bad as those that progresses towards total memory loss leading to Alzheimer's disease or those related to dementia. People will forget events and not recognise themselves or those that they love. I remember an elderly brother in church who often asked me to pray for his memory as he fears losing it. One way to keep our grey matter (and memory) working in our old age is to do things that would engage our mind such as reading, playing mahjong, doing crosswor puzzles, having a conversation with people, etc. Not forgetting to eat healthily and have regular exercise to keep the blood circulating in our brain. It is certainly not an easy thing to take care of a person who is suffering from dementia; it would take a toll on the care-givers. So we can do our loved ones a great favour by taking care of our own physical and mental health.
Our memory is at its best when we are young. That's why it's important to teach our children (whether knowledge, skills, values or attitudes) when they are still below the age of 10. The Bible instructs us, "Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, 'I find no pleasure in them'" (Eccl 12:1). Troubles will definitely come in life and if our children do not have anchors for their souls, they would be tossed about in a sea of distress and confusion. As such, in the foundational years of our children, they should be brought up in the fear and instruction of the Lord through age-appropriate, fun activities that direct their thoughts and meditation toward God. We used to have regular family time when our children we much younger comprising of 4 components: Worship, Bible reading, Prayer and Games. Because there were four of us, we rotate about taking charge of each component. The Games component was the one that the children enjoyed the most as they had lots of fun.
This is holy week and we remember our Lord's death on the cross through the sacrament of holy communion which Jesus instituted. God knows that we are frail humans who forget His goodness and grace easily; that's why the emblems (bread and wine) are there to remind us. The children of Israel celebrated the Passover to remind their descendants of God's deliverance from death and slavery. An act by our Lord which is not often enacted by the Protestant church is the washing of the disciples feet. Through this act, Jesus wants His church to demonstrate humility in service, just as He came to serve and not to be served. While we remember God and His works, God also remembers us! One of the dying thieves on the cross asked Jesus to remember him when He comes in His kingdom (Lk 23:42). Jesus promised that he would be with Him in paradise that very same day. We are also told that a book of remembrance will be written for those who fear and serve the Lord (Mal 3:16-18), and the Lord knows those who are His (2 Tim 2:19). What a comforting thought! Should the time come when our memory fails us, we know that the Lord would not fail to remember us.
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Fears
Fear (or phobia) is a valid human emotion which all of us have experienced in one form or another. In fact, there are so many different types of fear that linguists have coined words to label them. It can range from the inanimate such as fear of heights (acrophobia) and fear of darkness (achluophobia) to the animate such as fear of insects (acarophobia) and fear of people (anthropophobia). People who have many fears are suffering from polyphobia. Fear is an instinctive human response to potential danger, whether they be rationale or otherwise. What happens when we are fearful is that chemicals would be released in our body causing our heart to beat rapidly, our blood pressure to increase and so forth. We can identify with this kind of responses when we we have a near-missed or an actual car accident on the road; of course, we are still alive to tell the tale.
Children are often fearful of the dark, imagining all kinds of creatures that could lurk there. They will usually grow out of it when they are older. Creepy crawlies is another common fear among children; even adults may be fearful of them. Just recently, I saw a girl in school jumped up when she saw a monitor lizard on the trunk of a tree, though she was quite a distance away from it. Many children, including adults, are afraid of cockroaches, especially the flying kind. They would run away to hide or lock themselves in their rooms. But seriously, the monitor lizards and cockcroaches won't be able to kill us (logically speaking) but for some of us, just the thought of them crawling all over us can already send a spine-chilling sensation down our body and that is the fear factor. As a parent, even though you may be fearful of creepy crawlies, you would have to overcome your fear to get rid of them, especially in the home, unless of course you have a helper at home to do the job. My colleague was sharing that if there is a cockroach in the house, she would ask her domestic help to get rid of it. She does not want to let her children know as they were not afraid of it and would catch it to frighten her.
I would like to discuss regarding the fear of death or dying (thanatophobia) which may be plaguing many people. The Bible does talk about this in Heb 2:14-15 (NIV):
"Since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity so that by His death He might break the power of him who holds the power of death - that is, the devil - and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death."
Death is no respecter of persons. Whether we are young or old, rich or poor, famous or unknown, all would be subjected to it. The only exception would be the believers living during the time when Christ returns. In the verses above, we are told that the devil has the ability to put fear in people through his control over the power of death. This fear can be paralysing for some because they do not know what lies beyond the grave. But for those of us who know Jesus Christ, we have the blessed assurance that we will meet Him when we die. God used the death of His beloved Son on the cross of Calvary to overcome death, both physical and spiritual.
Spiritual death has to do with separation from God. Whether Jews of Gentiles, we, who were once far away from God, have been brought near to Him by the blood of Christ restoring the broken fellowship that the devil initiated at the garden of Eden (Eph 2:13-18). When we are restored in our relationship with God, the devil can no longer enslave us through his power of death. Some may not believe in the spiritual realm, thinking that death is the end of all things. Yet others may believe in moving on a different realm of existence whether through reincarnation or otherwise. According to their beliefs, people will live out their lives on earth.
Physical death has to do the ceasation of our vital human organs, especially the heart and brain. When that happens, the body would turn cold with its life taken out. The physical body is but a housing for our soul and spirit which would live on. Our current body is stained with sin and sickness, and cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. God has in store for the believers glorified bodies which He would give on resurrection day. That is when the spirit and soul would be clothed with immortality and death would have been swallowed up in victory (1 Cor 15:54). Death would no longer reign but rather life, because Jesus is the Life (Jn 11:25; 14:6).
We can face death in the face when we have Jesus in our hearts. And in the words of the hymn:
And because He lives, I can face tomorrow
Because He lives, all fear is gone
And because I know, I know He holds the future
And life is worth the living just because He lives
Children are often fearful of the dark, imagining all kinds of creatures that could lurk there. They will usually grow out of it when they are older. Creepy crawlies is another common fear among children; even adults may be fearful of them. Just recently, I saw a girl in school jumped up when she saw a monitor lizard on the trunk of a tree, though she was quite a distance away from it. Many children, including adults, are afraid of cockroaches, especially the flying kind. They would run away to hide or lock themselves in their rooms. But seriously, the monitor lizards and cockcroaches won't be able to kill us (logically speaking) but for some of us, just the thought of them crawling all over us can already send a spine-chilling sensation down our body and that is the fear factor. As a parent, even though you may be fearful of creepy crawlies, you would have to overcome your fear to get rid of them, especially in the home, unless of course you have a helper at home to do the job. My colleague was sharing that if there is a cockroach in the house, she would ask her domestic help to get rid of it. She does not want to let her children know as they were not afraid of it and would catch it to frighten her.
I would like to discuss regarding the fear of death or dying (thanatophobia) which may be plaguing many people. The Bible does talk about this in Heb 2:14-15 (NIV):
"Since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity so that by His death He might break the power of him who holds the power of death - that is, the devil - and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death."
Death is no respecter of persons. Whether we are young or old, rich or poor, famous or unknown, all would be subjected to it. The only exception would be the believers living during the time when Christ returns. In the verses above, we are told that the devil has the ability to put fear in people through his control over the power of death. This fear can be paralysing for some because they do not know what lies beyond the grave. But for those of us who know Jesus Christ, we have the blessed assurance that we will meet Him when we die. God used the death of His beloved Son on the cross of Calvary to overcome death, both physical and spiritual.
Spiritual death has to do with separation from God. Whether Jews of Gentiles, we, who were once far away from God, have been brought near to Him by the blood of Christ restoring the broken fellowship that the devil initiated at the garden of Eden (Eph 2:13-18). When we are restored in our relationship with God, the devil can no longer enslave us through his power of death. Some may not believe in the spiritual realm, thinking that death is the end of all things. Yet others may believe in moving on a different realm of existence whether through reincarnation or otherwise. According to their beliefs, people will live out their lives on earth.
Physical death has to do the ceasation of our vital human organs, especially the heart and brain. When that happens, the body would turn cold with its life taken out. The physical body is but a housing for our soul and spirit which would live on. Our current body is stained with sin and sickness, and cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. God has in store for the believers glorified bodies which He would give on resurrection day. That is when the spirit and soul would be clothed with immortality and death would have been swallowed up in victory (1 Cor 15:54). Death would no longer reign but rather life, because Jesus is the Life (Jn 11:25; 14:6).
We can face death in the face when we have Jesus in our hearts. And in the words of the hymn:
And because He lives, I can face tomorrow
Because He lives, all fear is gone
And because I know, I know He holds the future
And life is worth the living just because He lives
Monday, February 25, 2013
Hedonism, Hostility, Humility
I was reading the book of James from the Maxwell Leadership Bible recently on problem solving. Problems in life are often related to people problems. In particular, James addresses the issue of human pride and lust in chapter 4 that causes fights and quarrels.
What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? 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. You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. 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. Jas 4:1-4 (NASB)
When our own self-centred desires (hedonism) are not fulfilled, it often results in hostility against others and God. The story of Sodom's depravity is a good case in point (Gen 19). The men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and wanted to fulfill their own sexual lusts with the visiting angels in Lot's house. They demanded that Lot bring them out. Because Lot refused them, they became hostile to such an extent that they would have broken down the door of his house and invaded their privacy had the angels not intervened. Such attitudes are quite common nowadays when hedonistic desires are not being fulfilled and people resort to vehement violent means to get their own ways. Let's check our own attitudes in life in this area, lest we fall into the devil's trap.
The way of the world and of the devil is to resort to hostility. To be a friend of the world is to be God's enemy. Lucifer fell because of pride and became the devil. James says that God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble (Jas 4:6). The cure therefore for human conflict is to submit (humble) ourselves to God and resist the devil. If we do not take a stand against the devil, he would be more than happy to continue feeding our ego with pride so that we can fulfill our carnal desires. On the other hand, if we lament, mourn and weep over our sins, we will find that our souls would be healed and God would lift us up, which is very much different from being lifted up in pride (Jas 4:7-10). I would rather that God lift me up than me lifting myself up.
What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? 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. You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. 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. Jas 4:1-4 (NASB)
When our own self-centred desires (hedonism) are not fulfilled, it often results in hostility against others and God. The story of Sodom's depravity is a good case in point (Gen 19). The men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and wanted to fulfill their own sexual lusts with the visiting angels in Lot's house. They demanded that Lot bring them out. Because Lot refused them, they became hostile to such an extent that they would have broken down the door of his house and invaded their privacy had the angels not intervened. Such attitudes are quite common nowadays when hedonistic desires are not being fulfilled and people resort to vehement violent means to get their own ways. Let's check our own attitudes in life in this area, lest we fall into the devil's trap.
The way of the world and of the devil is to resort to hostility. To be a friend of the world is to be God's enemy. Lucifer fell because of pride and became the devil. James says that God is opposed to the proud but gives grace to the humble (Jas 4:6). The cure therefore for human conflict is to submit (humble) ourselves to God and resist the devil. If we do not take a stand against the devil, he would be more than happy to continue feeding our ego with pride so that we can fulfill our carnal desires. On the other hand, if we lament, mourn and weep over our sins, we will find that our souls would be healed and God would lift us up, which is very much different from being lifted up in pride (Jas 4:7-10). I would rather that God lift me up than me lifting myself up.
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