The Me Monster

Muhammad Ali once told a flight attendant he didn't need a seatbelt because he was Superman. She replied: Superman doesn't need an airplane either. Buckle up.

Self doesn't like to yield. And in this message from "A Faith That Works," Pastor Ron opens James 4:1–12 and tackles what he calls "The Me Monster" — the problem of self, and what it produces in our lives and relationships.

The Problem of Self:

James asks a simple question: where do wars and fights among you come from? The answer is the desires for pleasure — hedonism — that war in our members. When the flesh wants to please itself and doesn't get what it wants, the result is conflict, covetousness, even murder. The disciples argued constantly about who was the greatest. Some things never change.

The Wrong Way to Pray:

James adds that we don't have because we don't ask, and when we do ask, we ask with wrong motives — to spend on our own pleasures. Prayer driven by self-interest is prayer that doesn't work. God is not a vending machine for the me monster.

Friendship With the World:

James says friendship with the world is hostility toward God. The world's value system — self-promotion, self-gratification, pride — is incompatible with the kingdom. God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. That's not a suggestion, it's a law.

The Solution — Submit, Resist, Draw Near:

James gives a clear counter-strategy: submit to God, resist the devil, and draw near to God. Humble yourself before the Lord and He will lift you up. Don't be a judge of others — we have one Lawgiver and one Judge, and you are not Him.