Daily Meditation - Tuesday 20May 2008 - A WAR IS RAGING RIGHT NOW IN EACH OF OUR HEARTS

[BarbaraTherese]

READINGS HERE

MEDITATION HERE

James 4:1-10

"Where do the wars
** and where do the conflicts among you**
** come from?" (James 4:1) **

Wouldn’t we all like to know?

• We see our world torn apart by war. We see conflicts at all levels of society,
• as well as divisions that threaten to destroy our families.

Civilizations have been dealing with conflict in one form or another since history began. Of course, there are often complex political reasons,

• but James cuts through all these arguments and tells us
• that conflict stems from sin—
• from those things within us
• that are at enmity with God.

We may not always acknowledge it,
*** but a war is raging right now ***

in each of our hearts!

• Our desires for the things of God are directly opposed to our desires for the things of this world (Galatians 5:16-17).
• As we contend with these dueling desires,
• the internal conflict can make its way out and cause strife with others.
• No one is exempt from this tension:
• Even the disciples were arguing about who was the greatest! (Mark 9:33-34)

So what’s the answer?
Should we just throw up our hands and resign ourselves to a life of battles and wars?

Absolutely not!

James outlines two key steps to overcoming this conflict:
We must submit ourselves to God, and resist the devil. If we come to God, he will come to us (James 4:7-8).

***Before we can take any of those steps, however, ***
we first have to look within ourselves
and recognize the struggle we are facing.

• When we’ve realized we can’t deal with it on our own,
• then we are ready to ask God for help!
• If you want peace in the world,
• start by building peace in your own life.
• Humbly turn your heart to God,
• and by his power resist the passions that seek to pull you away from him.
• *** If you do, you will see victory little by little.***
• *** You will become more peaceful as you become more closely attached to Jesus, the Prince of Peace.***

Then, the people in your family, at work, and in your community will be drawn to you as they sense that peace—and they’ll start to change too.

As the old song says,
peace on earth
really can “begin with me!”
“Lord, as you calmed the Sea of Galilee,
please calm the storms within me.
Let your peace abide in my heart
and become a beacon to those around me!”

 

[Trishie]

Thank you for your insight and inspiration, BarbaraTherese

Offering …of a divided heart
God, I offer You my abilities and achievements. I offer You my failures and deprivations, with my love that gutters and flares, and with my flickering insight. I offer You my faith and hope that repeatedly requires renewal. I offer You the intercession and thanksgiving that I fail to make, and my inadequate service and worship.
I offer You everything, including what I am most reluctant to relinquish or to face—trusting that in Your loving-kindness You will deal with all these things to their best disposition. I ask that You will free me from anxiety regarding success or failure in my life or apprehension for my loved ones. I commit these to Your care.
I trust that Your Spirit will assume freedom to love and trust, to live and move in me. Then, as beautiful, vibrant witness and channel of You to each person that I encounter, or for whom I intercede, my life will worship You.
Grant me faith, constancy, hope and love, even where I feel none. Make me an overflowing chalice of Your love, a living tabernacle of Your presence, a powerhouse of prayer, and an open doorway into God. I may not hope in myself, Jesus, but I adore You and hope in You for my loved ones and for anyone You desire to draw into Your love through our lives. Trishie

 

[BarbaraTherese]

Another really beautiful prayer, Trishie. Are you writing them? I am going to print them out and paste them into my Prayer/Intentions Book.
Blessings and my regards…Barb