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So many times we think small things don’t matter. There’s no harm in them. We think there’s no way something of such little consequence in this life could hurt us at all. Perhaps it’s being friends with one person who’s a little on the edge. Or maybe just one date with an unbeliever. Or just one small expenditure.
Yet one small thing can be the first tiny move toward what James labels “friendship with the world.”
“Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” (James 4:4)
If a bathroom sink springs a leak, you could say, “It’s just one leak ... nothing will come of it.” But something will come of it—disaster! First the area around the leak will become saturated, and before you know it, tiles will pop out of place, wood will expand and warp, rot will set in, and the damage will expand through the floor.
In James 4:4, did reading the words adulterers and adulteresses shock you? James is deliberately shaking up the thinking of his readers who are spiritually unfaithful to God and who are making pleasure their chief concern. They are adulterers because they’re not being faithful to God. They flirt with worldliness and with the pleasures of this world.
Either/Or
Before today had you ever thought about this either/or choice? That you’re choosing to be either a friend to the world or a friend to God? That you’re choosing to be either an enemy toward the world or an enemy toward God? Search your heart and consider the kinds of choices you’ve made during the past hour...week...year. According to the pattern of your choices, are you building friendship with God or with the world?
God yearns to see His Spirit evidenced in your life. When you are humbly seeking to live wholly for Him, you’ll receive the gracious help you need so you can do just that. God blesses the humble-minded and favors the lowly with His continual grace for continual growth. Make a point to pray for ways you can humbly seek a life that pleases God and ask for the assistance of His great and marvelous grace.
When you turn your eyes to Jesus, you won’t be interested in the small trinkets that the world offers. When you turn your eyes to Jesus, you’ll be consumed with Him—the light of His glory and grace. So turn your eyes to Jesus today.
RESPOND
Lord, I fix my eyes on You. I seek Your heart. Help me see where and how I’ve been flirting with the world. I won’t let “it’s just one time” become my mindset. I want to turn my attention and my thoughts and my actions toward eternity with You. I can’t wait! Amen.
RENEWING RESOURCES 
A Woman After God’s Own Heart—Experience peace, order, and joy when you follow God's guidelines for every area of your life with this helpful book that includes a Quiet Time Calendar!
REFLECT
Search your heart and consider the kinds of choices you’ve made during the past hour...week...year. Are they more godly or worldly?
REMEMBER
Don’t forsake God! Each day make the choice to engage with and draw closer to Him.
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Jim and Elizabeth George are bestselling authors and national speakers dedicated to helping people live a life after God’s own heart. Together, they have written over 150 books with more than 14 million copies sold around the world. For over 35 years, the teachings and steadfast example of Elizabeth and Jim have helped countless men and women:
Jim and Elizabeth George are bestselling authors and national speakers dedicated to helping people live a life after God’s own heart. Together, they have written over 150 books with more than 14 million copies sold around the world. For over 35 years, the teachings and steadfast example of Elizabeth and Jim have helped countless men and women:
How did men and women in the Bible accomplish great things for God? There wasn’t any secret formula or bestselling book on success for them. In fact, they were ordinary people like you and me. What made them effective was their willingness to obey God—one decision at a time.
