What’s My Stumbling Block?

James 4:4, “Don’t you know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? So whoever wants to be the friend of the world becomes the enemy of God.”

what does friendship with the world today look like today? We read this and think 🤔 “I love God! I go to church, read my Bible. I pray and my friends all believe. I dont Watch pornography, I don’t embezzle money, I don’t cheat my business partners, etc. so I’m basically good! Yeah, I’m not ‘friends’ with the world. There are way worse people out there.”

But we sing to our kids on Sunday morning “Oh be careful little eyes what you see…. Oh be careful little ears what you hear…For the Father up above is looking down in love…”

And we binge watch TV night after night. We spend hours and hours on our phones, social media, etc each day. We make more money than any generation in history and give less than ever before. Or if we are giving, what percent? And when I ask that I think what I am really asking is what percent of your heart? Is it just a tap on your phone and you never see or notice it? Just a check off so you did the right thing? When the woman gave two coins she gave all she had. She gave out of love, not another bill to be paid.

But our cars are beautiful, our vacations are amazing, our gadgets make life really easy and fun, and Amazon is our new best friend!”

My question is, where is God in all of this? What’s your stumbling block and how does it get removed so God becomes first again? Or just first if He has never been there? What makes us believe we are any more just, or loved, or special than the Israelite, Gods own people? They did the same things we are doing. He torn down their Idols and destroyed all that they thought they loved. He ripped away their love of worldly things, out of love, so they would return to Him. is that what we are waiting for? I hope not.

God gives grace to the humble. (James 4:6) let’s please just consider this route instead.