Sunday Words of Encouragement May 6, 2018

This morning we enjoyed the continued lesson on Grace and Mercy in Sunday School. We had nice worship time and then Pastor continued his sermon series on Relationslips.

Pastor summarized the last three weeks:
“I owe you” – guilt. The remedy is confession.
Then “You owe me” – anger. The remedy is forgiveness.
Today is “I owe me” – greed. The remedy is generosity.

Today he discussed the ever present need of people to ‘want more’. They covet what others have and some feel “I deserve more as I'm trying to serve God more than that other person”.
They think: “God owes me” which stems from Jealousy.
There are two aspects of jealousy. Our God is a jealous God represents the positive aspect.
The other aspect is the negative, self-destructive emotion of wanting what we don’t have.

Jealousy almost always creates struggle, tension and damage in relationships. We become discontented with our lives and possessions, even our relationships. External conflicts are result of internal desire bubbling up.

This problem is addressed in James Chapter 4. We want what we don't have, and we don’t receive it because we ask with a wrong motive. James 4:2.

Point: A growing life for God makes it impossible for jealousy to grow.

Jealousy keeps us from being able to follow the most basic relationship command: LOVE one another. The tendency is to think ‘it is not the other persons fault and not my fault, so it must be God's fault.

Why do our relationships suffer? We can’t take it out on God, so we take our frustrations out on those around us. All relationship conflict has one common demonstrator: me. James 4:4-10.

Sin is the pursuit to find fulfillment outside of God. We need to focus on God, not the world or worldly things. James says, “Take it all to God”.

Are you happy within yourself?
People can't satisfy us, but a right relationship with Jesus can.
The remedy to the jealousy issue has two elements: (1) Love God with all of you. (2) Celebrate others.

No one else owes me. If we honestly face the shadow of the cross God we will recognize that God doesn't owe me anything. I owe Him everything.

I went through several songs and decided on this one for today.

Verses for Today
James 4:7-10 NIV
7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

I pray Lord that You help me stay focused on You and help me love others like You do.