Doers of the Word: Resist Playing God

TAP "NOTES" TO FILL IN THE BLANKS & TAKE YOUR OWN NOTES.

“Who died and left you in charge?” This question/accusation is often directed toward people we deem to be control freaks. We encounter them in the neighborhood busybody, the obnoxious co-worker, the bossy family member, even the manipulative Christian. We might think that this is a relatively new phenomenon given our self-centered culture. But it is not! This God-complex is as old as Eden. The original temptation was “to be like God knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:5).

The early church had the same problem. Pastor James wrote about being a doer of the Word by resisting worldliness (4:1-10). We live in the spirit of this age no more completely than when we try to play God. In verses 11-17, James points out two primary ways people try to play God.

• We play God when we arbitrarily _____ our brother, vv. 11-12.
• We play God when we independently _____ our lives, vv. 13-17.

Do we act as though God died and left us in charge by the way we judge others and plan our lives?