JAMES 4:5-10 BE WILD NO LONGER
5 Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely? 6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 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.
Do you think that Scripture speaks without meaning by saying, Does the Holy Spirit he has given us desire with sinful jealousy? No, such yearnings are of the flesh and not the Spirit. Rather Scripture tells us just the opposite. Reconciliation and peace come through the Spirit. The Spirit is the gift of grace through which we can submit ourselves to God and draw close to him. But as long as we serve our own self-interest we cannot receive this grace. It is only through repentance that we can approach God and receive his grace. We must not celebrate who we are and what we do, but humble ourselves and recognize how short we fall of the glory that God wills for us. Once we are on our knees or flat on our faces before the Lord, he can raise us up to our proper relationship with him.
A wild horse only becomes useful when it is “broken” of its wildness and becomes willing to submit to its rider. In our wild state we are envious and fractious, prone to dissension and conflict. We are driven to live life on our own terms which means we are always battling with others who are trying to do likewise. We do not become useful for the kingdom until we are broken by the Holy Spirit, who convicts us of our sin and our need for a Savior. Until we give up doing things our way and submit ourselves to doing things God’s way we cannot be reconciled to God or function in the spread of his kingdom, which is our high calling.
10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you.
Amen. (Psalm 51:10-13)