Are you driven by love or fear?

James 4:1  "What causes fights and quarrels among you?  Don't they come from your desires that battle within you?"

I'm a strong believer that our words and actions flow directly from our thoughts, fears, worries, desires and priorities.  If you want to know what really makes a person tick, dig below the surface of what they say and do and try to identify the motives that drive their outward actions.

I know when I am at peace internally, my thoughts, words and actions reflect that peace.  The same holds true, in the opposite direction, when I am disturbed inside. 

I believe the biggest negative motivation that drives many of us is fear.  We mask fear in a multitude of ways, from cowardice behavior to self-important boasting.  Fear can have an equal role in driving outward success or failure.

James encourages us all to stay focused on what we should be focused on- our Father.  If we were all focused on Him and let His Spirit indwell us fully, fights and quarrels among us would magically disappear.  In the meantime, pay attention to the desires within you and how those desires manifest themselves through your words and actions.  The key is not to simply modify your behavior, but rather to let God's redeeming work on the cross transform you from the inside out. When you are at peace with yourself and with God, it is amazing how conflict with others lessens in your life.