21 May 2023
Two-Minute Features | 28 May 2023 | 14 May 2023

Strong Desires for Ourselves & Others, Part 3 (TMF:2100)

Friday, May 26, 2023
Peace to Live By: Strong Desires for Ourselves & Others, Part 3 (TMF:2100) - Daniel Litton
(Tap or right-click link to download two-minute feature)

       Do we feel the Holy Spirit has retired, and doesn’t do anything anymore? Has the power been given to us? The reality is, there is no need to worry and fret about these matters. It’s not just good things that we can have too strong of a desire for, but it can also be for things that could harm us in the long run. James is going to tell us in the next verse that we are striving after the world. So, now we have a desire that is based in a worldly pursuit. It could be to marry a certain person, or to advance in one’s career. Neither of these things is inherently bad, in and of themselves, but let’s consider them. If we have the strong desire to marry a certain person, that’s good. Only, the desire needs to be given up. It’s not the end goal that so much bothers God, no, it’s the too strong of a desire. It’s like we are trying to control God. You don’t want to be controlled, do you? Well, God doesn’t want to be controlled either, and when we have strong emotions about something, God doesn’t feel free.

Strong Desires for Ourselves & Others, Part 2 (TMF:2099)

Thursday, May 25, 2023
Peace to Live By: Strong Desires for Ourselves & Others, Part 2 (TMF:2099) - Daniel Litton
(Tap or right-click link to download two-minute feature)

       Last time I checked, we are not superhero’s that people must have an experience with to be saved. Trust God; let him work as he decides to. Now James points to another problem in our asking scenario. Verse 3: “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.” Perhaps the real reason why we ask God to give us an opportunity to talk to someone we want to share with is simply because we want to have a story to go back and tell our friends. Or, maybe, in fact, it is because we believe we are commanded to do so, and therefore have to meet a certain quota in order to satisfy the God of the Universe on his laid out instructions. This is all so pointless. God looks down from heaven and laughs. He laughs because we have taken such a great responsibility upon our shoulders, as if it’s all up to us to make sure people come into relationship with him. Do we feel the Holy Spirit has retired, and doesn’t do anything anymore?

Strong Desires for Ourselves & Others, Part 1 (TMF:2098)

Wednesday, May 24, 2023
Peace to Live By: Strong Desires for Ourselves & Others, Part 1 (TMF:2098) - Daniel Litton
(Tap or right-click link to download two-minute feature)

       So James gets to the bottom of the solution to the problem, which is asking God for what we want. Yes, again, it’s that simple. You might say, “But I’ve done that hundreds of times, and most of the time it doesn’t work.” Yes, I know what you’re talking about. The problem is that usually when we ask we have too strong a grip on whatever it is we want to happen. Say, for example, we have the strong desire for a person to come into personal relationship with God. We pray, “God, please save this person. Please help me to talk to this person,” and we want it badly. Why does it so often not happen? Isn’t the request pure and noble, coming from the very heart of God? The problem is us typically. We care too much, dare I say. We should be able to walk away from our prayer feeling that it’s okay no matter what happens, whether we know, ourselves, that the person becomes saved and whether we have the opportunity, ourselves, to talk to them.

God is a Giver & Having the Right Attitude (TMF:2097)

Tuesday, May 23, 2023
Peace to Live By: God is a Giver & Having the Right Attitude (TMF:2097) - Daniel Litton
(Tap or right-click link to download two-minute feature)

       Well, obviously if we are coveting something, we want it too much, and on top of that, we are wanting something that we don’t have a right to have. It’s not a proper way to go about getting something. And since it’s covetousness, in James’ example we don’t get what we want. What’s sad, is all we had to do was give up the desire for whatever it is we wanted. In this case, if we want something that is not rightfully ours to have (assuming we haven’t realized this fact), an alternative would manifest itself. The American way is one of hard work, struggle, and even sacrifice. This is sometimes referred to as the Protestant Work Ethic. However, this is not, I repeat, this is not the way God operates. God is a giver, and he gives us what we want when are attitudes are right. Yes, you heard that right. It’s that simple. He gives us what we want, when our attitudes are right.

Giving Up on Controlling our Wants (TMF:2096)

Monday, May 22, 2023
Peace to Live By: Giving Up on Controlling our Wants (TMF:2096) - Daniel Litton
(Tap or right-click link to download two-minute feature)

       Again, it’s not that passions and desires are bad; in fact, they can be quite good. It’s only when we want them too much that leads us to due stupid things. Therefore, we have to what? You guessed it. We need to Give Up Control of our passions and desires. How do we do that? We do it by the simple acknowledgment that, “If I get what I want, I am okay with that. And if I don’t get what I want, I am also okay with that.” This is complete surrender of the situation. “If I get the position of elder at church, that’s good. But’s also good if I don’t.” “If I get the money for my ministry that I need, that’s good. If I don’t, that’s okay.” “If the pastor recognizes me for my work in this area, that is good. If she doesn’t, I am okay with that.” One example James brings up for us is using the method of coveting to try to obtain something. Why doesn’t that work? Well, obviously if we are coveting something, we want it too much, and on top of that, we are wanting something that we don’t have a right to have.