Be Humble In Making Plans
Text: James 4:13-16
As James has been teaching about the need for humility, he now teaches the need for humility in making plans. He pictures someone who speaks about future plans for today or tomorrow as if he/she is the one who controls the future. Yet, the reality is that this person may not live to see that time. In fact, a person’s life is like a vapor/mist that is here at one point and gone soon after. Rather, plans must be made by recognizing it is God who is ultimately in control. Making plans without recognizing this results in arrogant boasting that is evil.
The situation James describes is easy for people to do. Many people speak about what they are going to do today, tomorrow, or another time even farther into the future. In doing so, they may not even give it a second thought as to whether making plans in that way is good and proper. Yet, God clearly condemns such common practice – not because it is wrong for a person to make plans, but because of the arrogance involved in assuming he/she will do whatever it is he/she has planned to do!
Today’s response to hearing God’s word is this: Be humble in making plans. You must keep your life in the proper perspective. While there are things you can and should plan for, you must make these plans with the humility that recognizes many other factors you cannot control could change them. Ultimately, you must have the humility to recognize that your life is just a vapor that appears for a little time before it vanishes. So, there is no way for you to possibly know for certain whether you will even be alive for the plans you have made today or tomorrow (or any other time). Furthermore, Jesus could come at any time. Instead, you should make your plans by humbly recognizing those plans will only happen if the Lord allows them! Recognize these things in both your own mind and in your words as you make your plans for the future!
