Those conflicts and disputes among you, where do they come from? Do they not come from your cravings that are at war within you? You want something and do not have it; so you commit murder. And you covet something and cannot obtain it; so you engage in disputes and conflicts. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what you get on your pleasures. Adulterers! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you suppose that it is for nothing that the scripture says, "God yearns jealously for the spirit that he has made to dwell in us"? But he gives all the more grace; therefore it says, "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble."

James 4:1-6

We have a smothering absorption with our own wants. We ask God to give us stuff! We really need to ask Him to gird us, to gift us, to guide us and to direct us.

It is better to ask God to meet our needs with His hands, in His time, in His way; to yield our will to His control, and pray just as Jesus did.

It does no good to brood over injustices, to try and set things right on our own, or to let our lustful desires determine our decisions. Before our anger peaks, we can call for a "time out" and take a walk with the One who understands us better than we understand ourselves – who cares for us more than we can ever know. We can tell Him about our anger and mull things over with Him. We can ask God to meet our needs His way, for He will give us grace, which is a gift far greater than anything we can manage on our own.

For every minute you are angry,

you lose 60 seconds of happiness.

Our Daily Bread – February 25, 2005