At the Well: A Cleansed Life

Today, At the Well we're asking, "What do I need to cleanse my life of right now?"
God spoke to me through James 3:13-4:10 this morning in my quiet time:

Seven things I ask Him to help me cleanse my life of:

Who is a wise man (woman) and endued with knowledge among you?
Let him (her) show out of a good conversation (life and words) his works with meekness of wisdom.
Meekness is the opposite of anger:  blowing up, reacting with irritation.
Cleanse me of:

• anger

Buf if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.  This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.

• envy and strife

For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

• hypocrisy

And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

• lust

Ye ask and receive not because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts (pleasures).

"Man's highest need is to desire the right things."

(author unknown)

• Friendship of the world

Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

• Bad influences

We should rid/cleanse our home and life of bad/evil influences: books, movies, music, alcohol, food, people, magazines, habits, pictures...
If I ask Him for wisdom in this area, He will show me what His desires are.

Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you.

• doublemindedness and sin

Cleanse your hands, ye sinners, and purify your hearts, ye doubleminded.
Get off the fence--be totally God's:
allegiance to Him (my country and kingdom:  God's, and my home: heaven)
I am a foreigner to the world: be willing to feel "foreign"--out of place, not at home--

Different

Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep (over my sin): Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up.