By Bobby Buffington

Have you ever tried to walk two large dogs at the same time? I remember as a kid at my cabin taking two of our family dogs for a walk. As a result of their weight and strength, and my eight-year-old physique, it was probably more accurate to say that they took me for a walk.  

Anyone who has been in this situation knows the worst part of the story is when the dreaded squirrel enters the picture. On this particular occasion we had a code red event, two squirrels!   Both dogs got very excited and quickly pulled the leash out of my hands. They were still, however, bound to each other, and quickly found themselves tangled around a tree. I remember out of the mind of me as a child thinking, “If you both ran the same direction, you might be able to catch that little rodent.”

Human relationships can be such a beautiful thing. There is nothing like the comfort of a friend when you’re hurting, or that person who always knows how to make you laugh. Unfortunately, as we all know, our beautiful relationships can tend to resemble the two dogs running in opposite directions, tangled in a mess. The problem is that so often rather than thinking about how we can reach a goal together, we focus on what will be best for ourselves.

Biblical author James poses the question, “What causes fights and quarrels among you?” Or phrased differently, “What causes your relationships to be tangled?” He goes on to give us the answer, that we all have strong desires, and when they’re not met we fight to get what we want. This concept is really familiar to me as a man on his way to marriage, knowing that some nights I desire quietness and sports, while Emily desires connection and conversation.

Thankfully James doesn’t just leave us hanging in the knowledge of our mess, but gives us a solution. Instead of looking to others to meet our desires, we should look to God, who is ultimately more able to meet them. As followers of Jesus we have one direction we are called to move. Rather than chasing our many desires, we are called to chase Him! And just as I realized watching my tangled dogs, when we all move in the same direction it frees us up to work together and love each other more radically.  

My prayer for you and our church is that we would realize all of the ways in which we are creating conflict from chasing our own desires, and refocus on the desires God has for us. As Green Bay Community Church becomes more and more a place where our focus is God, we will become more and more a place that treats people with a free and unleashed love.

Bobby Buffington is high school coordinator at Green Bay Community Church