Boasting about tomorrow James 4:13-17 Part 9



Read James 4:13-17

Today’s text is about boasting about tomorrow. James wants to bring our attention to how we plan things. It seems like a strange thing to bring up, but James wants us to see that God should be in every part of our lives, including our plans. We plan our dinners, our days, renovations, vacations and so much more. James calls our attention to those who plan based on their dependance on themselves – self-motivated, self-made, prideful individuals – those who plan for personal profit with no thought to God and eternity. These individuals make no attempt to seek God’s will, His help and His glory. If you think you’re in control of your ‘destiny’ then James is speaking to you. James is interested in how we plan our lives. When we make plans, we must do so with a view to God’s will and plan for us.

In the book of Luke, chapter 12:16-21, Jesus tells us a parable about a rich man who made plans and pridefully laid up gain and goods for himself. He did not include God or seek God’s will but instead boasted about all he had. God had other plans and took his life. When we act with an attitude of certainty and self-assurance, as if we are in control of our lives, it is wrong. God knows the future, we do not! It is total ignorance and arrogance to think we know the future or are in control of it. When you make plans with self-assurance you are “boasting in your arrogance”. We are not ‘masters of our own destiny’. James is reminding us of our limitations.

In verse 14 James reminds us of the frailty and brevity of life. We tend to fight against this but ultimately, we are a blink in the scheme of things. As it says in Psalm 39:5, “You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before You. Each man’s life is but a breath.” Only God knows what the future holds and how long we will live so we must not put off our service to Him. Do not plan to do what you want and serve God later. We should live for God today because we do not know the hour He will return. Matthew 24:44 says, “Therefore, you also must be ready for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

God is in complete control and while it isn’t wrong to plan, we must think about how we plan. We should be humble and seek God’s will for our tomorrows. In the context of this chapter, James has been telling us we need to humbly submit to God. When we plan, we should do it prayerfully, with a view to what God wants for us. We ought to lay our plans before the Lord, asking for a blessing on them, but ultimately praying that God’s will be done and that we’ll have all we need to do whatever God has planned. It should be a comfort to us that God is in control, and we are not. It should also be obvious in how we talk about our plans that we know that God is in control. 

The Bible doesn’t tell us exactly what to do specifically in our lives, but when we face decisions, we can seek to do the things God has revealed. If our goal in life is to do God’s will, we have to be willing to put ourselves and our lives at His disposal. This means that even our daily plans and tasks become a place of service. We can serve God in whatever He has set for us to do, in all our daily activities. These are the things we are called to do first. You cannot neglect the basic duties in life and expect a blessing. 

If we look to the parable of the talents in Matthew 25 or Luke 19, we can see that neglecting to do things is also a sin. The parable tells of a master leaving his house and entrusting his property to his servants. Each was allotted different amounts and when the master returned two of the servants had used their talents wisely. The third man did nothing and what he had was taken from him. He didn’t use the talents he was given and was condemned for it. Verse 17 of our text says, “Anyone then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.” Failing to do what the Bible calls us to do is a sin! Things like not taking care of what God has given you, not helping the needy, not sharing and using your talents to help others, not going to church, etc. are all sins. James wants us to recognize how easy it is to live the wrong way. We often think sin is doing things that are wrong, but James is speaking of sins of omission. We are called to love our neighbor so it is not enough to simply refrain from hurting or harming them – we must actively love them. Lying is wrong, but failing to tell the truth when you should be is also wrong. Not saying bad things about your parents or spouse is not enough, we are called to honor them. We must be willing to do the good works that the Spirit has set forth for us.

When we forget about God and live as if He’s not here we are sinning and failing to live as He calls us to live. Every action and decision must be made with a conscientious awareness that God is our divine and sovereign ruler, always here and always in control. Faith is trusting that He is God, trusting our future to Him and trusting that He is working all things for the good of those who love Him. Proverbs 3:5 says we are to “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.” When we submit our plans to God we are forced to consider if our plans are in line with what God wants for our lives. God will lead and direct us so we must not cling too tightly to our own plans, but rather, we must ask that His will be done. As Jesus taught us to pray in Matthew 6:10, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done.” What a comfort to know that God has all things in His hands, and even when things don’t go as we plan, we can trust that God is a good God who is in control of all things. Trust in the Lord, and when you don’t know what to do, seek Him first.

1. Give some examples of boasting about plans. 

2. Who is James speaking to in this passage?

3. What should you do when you are making plans?

4. What are some of the things God tells us to do in our lives?

5. Why is it a comfort that God is in control?

6. Not planning at all is also wrong. Think of another parable about those who didn’t plan properly; what should the people have done to be prepared? 


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