I want you to think back on a recent argument or conflict you had with someone. Could be your spouse, parents, kid, or somebody at work. What was the argument over? What was it about? Money, chores, politics, or something else. Regardless of the issue, what caused that argument?

That is the question that James wants us to deal with because the answer gives us deeper insight into why we have conflict with others. At the end of James 3 God gave us some incredible insight into what real wisdom looks like in our daily lives. Just because you are walking in wisdom does not mean you will not have conflict. This is why James 4 begins the way it does.

James just finished a section dealing with God’s wisdom and what it looks like and acts like in our life. When we are living by God’s wisdom, we are told that we will plant seeds of peace in our lives and in our relationships rather than seeds of conflict and division. So then, it's perfectly natural to follow that discussion up with a practical question: “Why do I get into arguments with others even when I’m trying to walk in God’s wisdom and pursue peace?” Such an important question that James begins chapter 4 with THIS question: “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you?”

Wow. What a great question. Great because it seems to cut to get to the core issue. Many times when conflicts arise, we go for the quick fix - but ultimately what we end up doing is merely putting a band-aid on the problem without fixing it. A band-aid given to a hemophiliac. So you might take care of the immediate problem at hand - but wouldn't it be better to get to the root of the problem so you don't waste so many band-aids??

So it's good to find the cause of quarrels and fights. But before we do that, let's make sure we know what we are speaking about…