This time of 12 months, because the leaves start to vary colour and regular schedules emerge and blossom once more, we regularly cease to make plans for the months forward. The slower tempo and irregular rhythms of summer season are giving approach to the regular beats of labor, faculty, and church life. This altering of the seasons presents a crossroads the place it’s pure to cease and revisit what, why, how, and the way typically we do all that we do.
And it’s good to plan. “The plans of the diligent,” God himself tells us, “lead certainly to abundance” (Proverbs 21:5). He sends us to check the ant:
With out having any chief,
officer, or ruler,
she prepares her bread in summer season
and gathers her meals in harvest. (Proverbs 6:6–8)
In different phrases, she plans and works forward, like every smart particular person will.
And but our planning, even our cautious and intentional planning, could be quietly depraved. It would appear to be now we have every thing discovered and put collectively, however in actuality our plans are silly and offensive. Hearken to the apostle James’s warning:
Come now, you who say, “Right this moment or tomorrow we are going to go into such and such a city and spend a 12 months there and commerce and make a revenue” — but you have no idea what tomorrow will convey. What’s your life? For you’re a mist that seems for somewhat time after which vanishes. As an alternative you must say, “If the Lord wills, we are going to reside and do that or that.” (James 4:13–15)
Good and Depraved Planning
On this a part of his letter, James confronts the seemingly profitable males of his day. Within the subsequent few verses, he goes on to say, “Come now, you wealthy, weep and howl for the miseries which might be coming upon you. . . . You could have lived on the earth in luxurious and in self-indulgence” (James 5:1, 5). However earlier than he will get to their greed and self-gratification, he exposes their conceitedness. Their success has made them suppose they know and management their futures.
Come now, you who say, “Right this moment or tomorrow we are going to go into such and such a city and spend a 12 months there and commerce and make a revenue.” (James 4:13)
What are these males doing improper? They’re presuming to know the place they are going to do enterprise, and how lengthy their enterprise will prosper there, and how a lot revenue they’ll make within the course of. They’ve completed this all earlier than, in spite of everything, in all probability dozens of occasions, and they also’ve grown comfortably accustomed to success — so snug that they’ve began to presume success.
Earlier than we scoff at them, although, we’d ask how typically we’re lulled into related temptations. We might not be touring to commerce in international markets, however all of us can start to imagine that God will do that or that — in our work, in our marriage or parenting, in our ministry — and fall into some sort of non secular autopilot. James presses on that tendency towards autopilot till we see the impulse for what it truly is.
You must say, “If the Lord wills, we are going to reside and do that or that.” As it’s, you boast in your conceitedness. All such boasting is evil. (James 4:15–16)
James calls this sort of planning evil. Even when they have been proper about what would occur, their plans have been improper, terribly improper.
Three Treatments for Vanity
James doesn’t merely confront these conceited males with their conceitedness; he additionally applies what he is aware of about God to ask them into the paths and plans of humility. And what he shares, in only a handful of phrases, speaks as loudly to our temptations to presumption because it did to these in his day. He reminds these males what they have no idea (and can’t know), what they can not do or management in their very own energy, and (extra subtly) the one factor they’ll all the time do when getting down to plan one other season of labor, life, or ministry — in actual fact, the one factor they should do.
WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW
Once more, he begins, “Come now, you who say, ‘Right this moment or tomorrow we are going to go into such and such a city and spend a 12 months there and commerce and make a revenue’ — but you have no idea what tomorrow will convey” (James 4:13–14). You suppose you recognize the place you’re headed, and the way lengthy you’ll spend there, and the way a lot cash you’ll make, however you don’t know something — a minimum of not with any of the understanding you now really feel. You’ll be able to plan and put together all you need, however actuality would possibly depart dramatically from what you’ve imagined.
“Our planning, even our cautious and intentional planning, could be quietly depraved.”
The enterprise would possibly crumble out of business — or God would possibly immediately quadruple your projections. The household would possibly unexpectedly flourish — or some unthinkable tragedy would possibly strike. Your private ministry would possibly expertise an prolonged drought regardless of intentionality and energy — otherwise you would possibly see fruit you’ve by no means seen earlier than. You can’t assure, a lot much less management, what’s going to occur this fall, or this fiscal 12 months, or 5 years from now. You have no idea — are you aware that?
Given how simply and subtly satisfaction swells in us all, it’s deeply good, spiritually and eternally good, to be reminded simply how a lot we have no idea.
WHAT YOU CAN’T CONTROL
Along with not understanding all we have no idea, we are able to’t do or management practically as a lot as we are likely to suppose. James sobers us within the subsequent verse: “What’s your life? For you’re a mist that seems for somewhat time after which vanishes” (James 4:14). These “profitable” businessmen have been taking a look at their observe report and revenue experiences and coming to some horrible conclusions. As an alternative of seeing the sovereign and beneficiant hand of God, they thought extra extremely of themselves. As an alternative of falling to their knees in awestruck gratitude, they stood somewhat taller, admiring the energy and ingenuity they noticed within the mirror.
What’s your life? Can you hear the pastoral coronary heart behind such bluntness? “What’s your life? For you’re a mist that seems for somewhat time after which vanishes” (James 4:14). And what can a mist do? On a very scorching day, a mist would possibly convey refreshment for a second — if it lasts that lengthy. However a mist does nearly nothing. In contrast with the infinite thoughts and energy of God, we are able to do nothing.
A method God guards us in opposition to conceitedness is to remind us of our mistiness. Every part that feels so massive, essential, and spectacular in our earthy lives proper now will vanish and vanish shortly. We’re only a tiny burst of moisture, one that may evaporate nearly instantly. God, alternatively, is aware of every thing there may be to know, and he can do all issues. He invented mists, and work, and us.
WHAT YOU CAN ALWAYS DO
We don’t know all we expect we all know in regards to the future, and we are able to’t management all we faux to regulate, so can we do something now in relation to the subsequent months and years? Is it futile for us to attempt to plan the longer term? No, take heed to how James guides them out of conceitedness and into planning that glorifies God:
As an alternative you must say, “If the Lord wills, we are going to reside and do that or that.” (James 4:13–15)
He doesn’t inform them to cease planning. He tells them to cease planning with out accounting for God. Cease planning with none reference to a very powerful a part of planning. Positively, make your plans — all of your plans — beneath God. The obvious approach to do that is to hope.
It’s easy and but supernatural. It’s quiet and but so countercultural. As you make your plans for an additional 12 months or season, kneel beneath the meticulous and pervasive sovereignty of God. Do not forget that you received’t go anyplace or accomplish something except he wills. You received’t reside except he wills. Does any rhythm or behavior in your life say that you simply imagine that? Is that banner nonetheless waving over all you need to do that 12 months?
Depraved Passivity
James strikes one final (seemingly unusual) be aware on this paragraph on ungodly planning: “So whoever is aware of the fitting factor to do and fails to do it, for him it’s sin” (James 4:17). How does that relate to the verses we simply learn? After telling them what to cease doing, he turns right here and ends with a verse in regards to the risks of passivity.
Given what we’ve already seen, it looks like the primary proper factor to do could be to acknowledge God in all we do — and never solely to acknowledge his sovereignty over our lives, however to actively search his assist and steering in them. Prayer just isn’t a passive acknowledgment of God. Prayer is something however passive. By prayer, we actively and persistently invite the sovereign God to really do what he’s stated he’ll do. And fairly often (are you able to imagine this?), he chooses to perform these infinite, everlasting plans by our small, modest, and secret prayers.
Nonetheless, this verse is about greater than prayer (as superb and highly effective as prayer is). When James says, “Whoever is aware of the fitting factor to do and fails to do it,” he’s speaking about each sort of sinful inactivity. He’s already warned us about an evil sort of proactivity — planning and making an attempt work with out reliance on God. Now he warns us about an evil passivity — understanding the laborious issues God has referred to as us to do and but refusing to do them.
Fullhearted religion within the sovereignty of God over all doesn’t result in retreat or inaction. No, this sort of religion units a life on fireplace with goal, conviction, and dedication. So, what laborious factor has God referred to as you to do that 12 months? The place are you tempted to shrink back from a fuller, extra pricey obedience to him — in your work (or research), within the native church, in evangelism and discipleship, in marriage and parenting? Resolve now to do the fitting issues you recognize to do, and do them — at each step — in prayerful dependence on God.
