October 20, 2025 | Be God's Family
The Root of Sin and the Will of God
Scripture: James 4:1-3(NIV)
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.
Devotional
We’ve all heard that often misquoted verse “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” (1 Tim. 6:10) I don’t disagree with that scripture, but I think that our bent to sin, or “the root of all evil”, goes much deeper. I think the root of many sins could actually be found in jealousy. Wanting what we don’t or can’t have. Resenting those that do have what we want. Jealousy is what causes our “desires that battle within” us. Wars are fought by countries jealous over other’s land and possessions. Someone takes the life of another over jealousy. We gossip because we’re jealous of another person and want to do them harm. Jealousy can result in the sins of envy, bitterness, anger, hatred, violence, and murder among others.
We have Biblical examples of jealousy leading to sinful behavior. Cain’s jealously of Abel resulted in Abel’s murder. Joseph’s brothers’ jealousy caused them to sell Joseph into slavery. Leah’s jealousy of her sister Rachel led her to trick Jacob into marriage. Sarah’s jealousy of Hagar brought about Hagar’s banishment. The Jewish leaders’ jealousy of Jesus brought about their plot to kill him.
What can we do if jealousy creeps into our life? James suggests that we go to God in prayer. But we need to go to God in the right spirit – with the right motives. I don’t think praying for God to give us everything we desire is praying with the right motive. We might want a winning lottery ticket so we can buy that big house, but is this something we should pray for? I really want the Colts to win the Super Bowl, but should this be my motive when I go to God in prayer? We should be praying in a manner that aligns with God’s character and God’s will for our lives. We need to believe that God has the power to answer prayer – or why else would we pray? Remember that God is “able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20). What do you talk to God about? Do you ask God to satisfy your desires or for God to show you his will for your life
In the end, we need to look within ourselves to determine why we do things that don’t conform to God’s plan for us. The X Files television show had a tag line that said, “the truth is out there”. I would argue that the truth is not “out there”, but it dwells within each one of us. We would like to be able to blame jealously or something else for our behavior, but we should take a good look inside our souls and ask God to show us God’s will for us.
Poem
At Home
Proverbs 17
Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting, with strife. Starting a quarrel is like breaching a dam; so drop the matter before a dispute breaks out.
Proverbs 17: 1, 14
An old hymn coins a lovely thought:
“There is beauty all around
When there’s love at home”
Peace and calm, harmony sought
“When there’s love at home”
What will it take to pause for break
‘Fore thoughtless barbs we utter
A jab, sarcasm
Critiquing for our pride’s sake
Kills the peace at home
Envy, revenge and quarreling cost
They foul e’en the finest feast;
They breach dam’s strong wall
Which keeps venom’s poison slosh
From flooding joy at home
And so, refrain, your temper soothe
Instead, seek wisdom in prayer
With motives sincere
Tender emotions then smooth
To keep pure love at home
