It's Time For Change

As we draw closer to selecting the next President of the United States, I find myself more and more reflecting on the conditions of our community. When I say our community, what I mean is the Black and Hispanic community or sometimes called the inner city. As I reflect, I cannot help thinking about how long we have been in these conditions. Irresponsible parenting, undisciplined children, gang violence and the highest crime rate. Drugs use, alcoholism, babies being born out of wedlock, the murder of the unborn, homosexuality are all the product of indiscipline and it is a growing issues in our community. Things are not getting better, they are getting worse. Now the undisciplined children are adults, they have children and the cycle continues.

What has contributed to these constant, long declining conditions in our community? Who’s responsible for the mess? I believe the answer is obvious. The no accountability, blame every body for my issues mentality has been the philosophy in our community for far too long. Things will not change until we stop pointing fingers and start accepting responsibility for the issues in our community. We must stop choosing leaders who promote this philosophy. It will not change until we change. It will not change until we change. Let me say it again “it will not change until we change”.

In sports, if the team continues to lose they fire the coach. In corporate America, if the company continues to decline, they fire the CEO. When our communities continue to fail, we keep selecting the same leaders. How long will we allow the Maxine Waters, the Mark Ridley Thomas’s the Barbara Boxer’s and the Diane Feinstein (Congress and Senate in our community) to lead our failing, declining communities? Their philosophy of no accountability, blame everybody but myself for my issues has not and will not work. It is time for us to start accepting responsibility for our own issues. We need leaders who are going to promote accountability. We need leaders who are really about change. How is it that we have allowed these leaders to go unchecked for so long? The results or lack thereof prove that we need a change. Who’s responsible if our communities continue to decline? We don’t need more social programs. We don’t need more rights. What we need is accountability. We need parents to be responsible for disciplining their children and we need to hold them accountable when they don’t. We need leaders who are going to promote accountability.

Unfortunately, most of the people I talk to in our community are more concerned with the skin color of those who are leading our communities then they are about their philosophies and ideologies. I was speaking on the subject of the next president with my barber and he informed me that he was voting for Barack Obama because he’s black. He told me he was not concerned with his policies but the fact that he is black is enough to earn his vote. I wonder how Mr. Obama would feel to know that people are voting for him solely on the basis of his skin color.

I agree, it is time for change, but who’s responsible for bringing about that change?

I am currently writing about Social Conservatives trapped in a Liberal Party. I will post it next week.

Feel free to straighten me out, I might be looking at this wrong.

Understanding Conflict

What is the cause of fights that lead to Church splits? What is the cause of fights that lead to divorce? What is the cause of fights that sometimes end in death? As I was studying this passage for my sermon I couldn't help reflecting on my younger days and fights I had with my brother. As I examined those fights under the light of God's word, I concluded that the reason I fought had nothing to do with defending myself nor was it because he hit me first. The reason I fought had everything to do with my fallen sinful nature. The reason I fought was because I wanted things to go my way.
That was the focus of James question to his readers in Chapter 4:1-4. What is the cause of fights and quarrels among you? The tone of James letter is very strong and he is very direct. James is an advocate for personal responsibility and mutual accountability.

If we want to be successful in dealing with the fights and quarrels that we encounter, we must understand some things about fights and quarrels.

Here is my outline for verses 1-4 "Understanding Fights and Quarrels":

I. First thing we need to understand about Fights and Quarrels is that they are just surface issues.
Vs. 1a. What causes fights and quarrels among you?

The word James uses for Fights refer to actual armed conflict, it carries a violent image. The word quarrels refer to battles without material weapons; this includes fighting with words.
Often times our focus is on the fighting itself but James lets us know that there is a deeper issue that we need to give attention to.

II. The Deeper issue is our desires.
Vs 1b-2b. Don't they come from your desires that battle within you?

Desires:
a. Upset because you can't have your way.
Vs 2. You want something but don't get it.

b. You want what you want at any cost.
Vs 2b. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what
you want. You quarrel and fight.

III. The Deeper issue is our Motives.
Vs 2c-3. You do not have, because you do not ask God. 3When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

IV. The Fundamental Problem is Unfaithfulness
Vs. 4. You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.

When we fight and quarrel with one another, we are doing what we did in the world. It becomes more about us then about God. Whenever it is not about God, that is unfaithfulness and therein lies the problem.

God will hold us responsible for our actions. Next week, we will look at practical steps for dealing with these issues.