Selfish Ambitions

James 4:1-3 ⁽¹⁾What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? ⁽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. ⁽³⁾When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. (NIV)

             There was once a king who had everything that he could possibly want. He had a wife, home, servants, wealth, and more. Unfortunately, the more that he had, the more he wanted. He did not care that he was rich with many things. Once he put his eye on something that he did not have, he would pout like a child until he got it.

 

            One day, he was looking outside of his palace window when he saw a vineyard that he liked. What a beauty it was. The king decided to see who the owner of the vineyard was and offered a substantial amount of money for it. However, the farmer who owned it was not willing to depart from his land. It had been in his family for several generations. Therefore, the farmer turned down the generous offer.

            The king, being disappointed, was upset that his offer was rejected; therefore, he went back to his palace and pouted in the privacy of his room. Once the queen got word of her husband’s discontent, she immediately came up with a wicked scheme. She had the farmer publicly accused of blaspheme against God. In accordance to their laws, anyone accused of such behavior would get the death penalty. The farmer, Naboth, was unjustly accused and fell victim to Queen Jezebel’s evil schemes. Her husband, King Ahab, received the vineyard that he wanted, but God saw what was done and both of them eventually received their due punishment.

            The Apostle James lets us know that God wants us to be peaceful with all men without selfish ambitions. Many young people have lost their lives because of the jealousy and coveting of others, who would go as far as killing to get something that did not belong to them. This is why God placed in His laws that coveting was a sin. Exodus 20:17 "You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor." (NIV) God is all too willing to give to anyone who asks, but your motives have to be correct. He will not give you anything that will either harm you or someone else.

 

 

            God went as far as to repeat this command in another book of the Bible along with the other ten commandments to ensure that man understood how much this displeased Him. Deuteronomy 5:21 "You shall not covet your neighbor's wife. You shall not set your desire on your neighbor's house or land, his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor." (NIV) Coveting is what led to the first sin committed by Lucifer. He desired to be like God and therefore, coveted God’s position of authority. Isaiah 14:12-15 ⁽¹²⁾How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! ⁽¹³⁾You said in your heart, “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon. ⁽¹⁴⁾I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” ⁽¹⁵⁾But you are brought down to the realm of the dead, to the depths of the pit. (NIV)

 

            We are to appreciate the goodness of God without coveting and causing confusion with others. What God has done for one, He can and will do for another if the motives of the person asking is right. God cannot bless someone with malice and mischief in his heart. Will you allow God to deliver you from any desire to covet today? All you have to do is ask and He will deliver you.

 

 

 

 The Book of James: 30 Days of Devotion for Men by K L Rich available on Amazon.com.