We want the pleasures of this world irrespective of God.

Or, for the Christian— we want the pleasures of this world and the blessings of God. We want to do what we want, and still have God be pleased. We want to enjoy life by our own rules, and still have God approve. We want God in our lives, insofar as He does not impede on our personal pleasure or demand too much control of our cravings. There is a war within us at all times, and when we feed our base cravings, chaos personally and corporately is the only possible outcome. If you take just a few moments to consider, I am sure you will agree.

What will we do, because James is quite clear: Our cravings for the pleasures of this life—if unchecked—will cultivate hostility toward God and conflict with others.

James | Hate It or Love It | James 4:1-12