Young Adults' Group

Planning Our Life With The Will Of God In Mind

by Pastor Mark
July 24, 2014

Planning our life

Many people tend to think that they have their whole life planned out. There is nothing wrong with planning for our future…for our career, family and future needs. In fact, it is wise to do so. But to think that everything will go according to our plans is being too presumptuous about life. This was something that the writer James had to address in his epistle, “Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit.” (James 4:13) When we work or do business, there is always the assumption that life will go on as it is. But in reality, things often don’t turn out the way we plan it to be.

The sobering reality of life

“Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.” (James 4:14)

James presents a sobering reality of what life truly is. We do not know what will happen tomorrow. What if tomorrow never comes? War, natural disasters, accidents…all that we see happening in the world just confirms for us this truth. One moment we may be going about our business and the next moment, our lives can come to a premature end all too quickly. The sobering reality of life is that it can just vanish away in a second just like vapor.

The danger of arrogance

“But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.” (James 4:16)

Despite this reality, there are some who still live their life as if tomorrow will always come. James raises this danger of arrogance. These may boast of their plans for the future…what they will do in the years ahead. But humility should cause us to understand and appreciate this sobering reality of the frailty of life and to adopt a far more biblical understanding of life.

Understanding life through the will of God

“Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” (James 4:15)

I like this perspective that James gives concerning life on this earth. Our life should be understood with the will of God in mind. If the Lord wills for us to live on…to live another day, then we should carry on with our plans…to go about our business. Yet when we see the premature end of one’s life, can we not also see it as part of God’s sovereign will? It is not easy to understand all that is happening in this world. But we can be comforted in knowing that all things still fall within the will of God. It does not mean that God is responsible for the evil actions of men but God can still turn these actions around and make it part of His will. Let’s be challenged to plan our life from the standpoint of the will of God.

Doing good

“Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” (James 4:17)

In the meantime, with every day that the Lord gives to us, we should seek to do good. It should be our purpose every day that we do some good to others…lest we end up in sin for withholding good works. Let’s be challenged to make a difference to someone by doing good as part of the will of God in giving us life.

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