Pam Padgett - teacher
Yesterday morning I was talking with God about the long-standing problem I
have with wanting to be accepted and liked by people. I told God it
seemed like such a huge problem, as though it was impossible to
overcome.
A little later during a conversation with Joan, she was reminded of :
James 4:4
Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the
world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the
world is the enemy of God.
friend
- being on the same side with
- having a common bond with
- one who approves another
- a supporter
- one who encourages
- one who is interested in
enemy
- a person who is actively opposed or hostile to
- not a friend
I don't want to be opposed or hostile to God, an enemy of God. Nor do I want to
be on the same side as, bound to, encouraging, or approving those of the world in
their wickedness. But I am doing these things when I seek to be friends with people of the world.
And I enter into hypocrisy
when I stay quiet, allowing them to think I agree with what they say so they won't turn from me, even when I don't agree. I have also feigned interest in what they say when I am really bored. Hypocrisy is leading someone to believe one thing when something else is true.
But the wisdom that is from above is ... without hypocrisy. (James 3:17)
I need to spend much more time with James 4:4 and with not speaking or acting in hypocrisy to get stronger and to do these things. But with these two scriptures, the problem that seemed so big earlier no longer seems impossible to overcome.