In the Christian life, we talk at great length about “belonging.” We belong in the family of God; we belong to a church. Messages are even shared about belonging at the table.

In Part 2 of this series on James, we learned that first we belong at the table. From that place of belonging, then we believe. From that place of believing, God invites us to become. Our seat at the table comes first; therefore, it’s always ours to have. So why do we have a hard time staying seated at the table?

All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all. —Isaiah 53:6 NLT

Respond: In your own words, share why we often leave our seat at the table according to the verse above.

What is the lean in us that continues to move us away from the table? We get distracted by the desire to do our own thing and wonder why we are no longer in relationship with Him. We love to blame the enemy for pulling us away, but sometimes we’ve drifted entirely on our own. When we stop looking to God as our supplier, we begin to rely on our own efforts alone, and that pulls us away from the table with Him.

Read: James 4:1-10

Respond: According to this passage, why do our prayers go unanswered sometimes?

Many have been hurt in church, and we carry this wound with us. Most of this hurt is because we’ve allowed the systems of the world to enter the church instead of living with the Kingdom mindset that God has called us to live. We are in a battle with these two thought processes, and our lean is to go with the systems of the world. Our motivation is rooted in pride.

Pride: anywhere I put my truth above God’s truth.

We all have a place of pride in us, but the enemy wants us to think it’s something other than that. When we are hurt because we don’t get credit for something good we’ve done, that’s pride. When we feel unseen by people we think are important, that’s pride. When we are jealous of others’ accomplishments, that’s pride. No matter how it expresses itself in our lives, pride is the root.

How many millions of dollars are being spent to deal with the fruit of pride rather than the root of it?

Read: Genesis 3:5-7

Respond: What did Satan tell Eve would happen if she ate of the tree?

Like with us, Satan appealed to Eve’s pride, and he wasn’t exactly lying to her. But he didn’t tell her the whole truth either. She did receive the wisdom and knowledge promised to her, but she received knowledge that God never intended for her to have. Knowledge without relationship will always result in pride.

That’s why we struggle with pride in the church. So many want knowledge but don’t build the necessary relationship with Him. We reach outside of God because we think we know what’s best for us, but that only leads us to ruin.

The only way to deal with pride is through submission. God bestows His infinite grace on the humble. If we’re having a hard time with the enemy, then perhaps there’s a place in our lives we haven’t submitted to Him.

Jesus is the greatest example of submission. Even He, in His deity, had to yield His own will. He walked in authority on this earth, not because He was Jesus, but because He daily submitted to the Father’s plan.

Authority can be ours too. There is power in the name of Jesus for those who have a relationship with Him.

Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I speak are not my own, but my Father who lives in me does his work through me. Just believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Or at least believe because of the work you have seen me do. “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it! —John 14:10-14

If being a leader in the Kingdom is something we desire, then we must first become a servant. Authority only flows in one direction, and it’s not something we can take or manipulate. It’s something we receive through relationship, and it eliminates the pride in our lives.

Areas the Bible calls us to submit:

• To God (James 4:6)
• To political authorities (1 Peter 2:13-14)
• To church leadership (1 Peter 5:5)
• To fellow believers (Ephesians 5:21)
• To our spouse (1 Peter 3:1-6)

Have you been holding onto a place in your life? Dig deep into your heart and surrender it today.

Journal: After listening to Part 4 of James, share a place in your life that you’ve been holding onto. It may take some prayer, but ask God to reveal it to you.

Activation: When you wake up in the morning, actively lay aside your pride and pray a prayer of submission to start your day. Ask God to help you have the heart of a servant in all that you do.

Prayer: Write a personal prayer of submission that you can use throughout the week to daily lay aside your pride and submit to the Father’s will. Remember, it’s not the words that make the prayer effective; it’s the relationship.