ADULTERY

"You adulteresses, do you now know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God." - James 4:4

I (Stefan) have been studying the book of James recently, and this verse struck me deeply each time I read it. James aims to eliminate any notion of being "impartial" regarding earthly and heavenly matters. He reminds us that everyone actively chooses to either be a friend of God and an enemy of the world, or a friend of the world and an enemy of God.

Lately, I've been pondering, "What does this look like on a practical level?" I want to continue my sanctification and grow in my understanding of what friendship with the Lord versus the world truly entails. Being in Africa has illuminated areas of my life where I was living in spiritual adultery against the Lord.

My greatest form of adultery? My friends! Since being here, I've realized that I didn't find comfort and confidence in the fact that Christ died for me and loves me. Instead, I sought human approval as desperately as a dog pants for water, trying to satisfy my own insecurities. With friends and family removed from my immediate environment, I find myself exposed before the Lord, daily asking Him, "God, you are my source of comfort and peace, not my friends, social media likes, or group chat invites. It's only YOU!" This realization resurfaced recently because our team in West Africa, who were supposed to stay until the end of May, returned home a month early due to family matters. This challenged my sense of identity again, as I recognized that I had once more committed spiritual adultery against the Lord by feeling validated, loved, and supported by team members rather than by Him.

FOR CLARITY, there is nothing wrong with having friends and family who love and support you. This is not an attack on any person or culture. It's simply me being honest about what the Lord is revealing to me. Friends and family are good and biblical blessings. However, one must be cautious that these gifts from the Lord do not become objects of worship, leading to spiritual adultery. Romans 1:25, "For they exchanged the truth of God for falsehood, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen."

ADULTERY CHECKLIST (if you have done the following, you may have committed spiritual adultery against the Lord):

• If you find your source of validation in friends rather than the Lord -- you may have committed adultery

• If your sense of value and self-worth is dependent on human approval -- you may have committed adultery

• If, when facing trials or tribulations, you turn to a friend before the Lord -- you may have committed adultery

• If, when something good happens in your life, you share it with a friend before the Lord -- you may have committed adultery

God is El-Qanna, a jealous God, who desires to be our foremost love. He is worthy of being our primary love. It has been a gentle removal of the things that held me tightly while I was in the States. Only by allowing the Lord to strip away these things has He reclaimed His rightful place as first in my heart.

It has been challenging to say goodbye to all our friends and family. It has been difficult missing the birthdays of those closest to us. It has been tough when our friends have ended up in the E.R. with various medical issues, and we cannot be there for them. It has been hard feeling irrelevant since we live on the other side of the world. It has been tough getting close to another family only for them to leave unexpectedly soon. It has been difficult making friends when our language skills are like those of a 3-year-old. However... "God, thank you for reminding me that my source of all good things comes only from You! Take it all, take it all away. Magnify no other name. You are once again my first love, and I thank you for correcting this unfaithful heart."

"When everything in life is stripped away except God, and we trust Him more because of it, this is gain and HE IS GLORIFIED." - John Piper