Young Adults' Group

The Wisdom Of Factoring In The Will Of God

by Pastor Mark
June 04, 2020

A false assumption in human planning

As we begin June 2020, no one would have expected how the first five months of this year would have turned out at the start of the year. For our work and our personal life, we could have made possible plans for the year. But due to the COVID-19 virus, many businesses have been badly hit. Some have even failed. Many of our plans also had to be changed.

The Apostle James sought to illustrate a usual business plan during his time, “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) A person could have a plan to do business in another city to make a profit. It is made by human wisdom, and may seem to be good and viable.

But there is a false assumption in the plan, that everything would turn out smoothly. James highlighted, “whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow.” (James 4:14) There are uncertainties in life that we cannot control. We would not know what is going to happen tomorrow.

The frailty of life

“For what is your life? It is even a vapour that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.” (James 4:14)

One uncertainty is the frailty of life. James compared our life to a vapour which lasts only a fleeting moment. King David also understood the brevity of life, “Indeed, You have made my days as handbreadths, and my age is as nothing before You; certainly every man at his best state is but vapour.” (Psalm 39:5) No matter how great or small we are, our life will vanish all too soon. We are unable to have complete control of our life. The uncertainty of life causes us to appreciate our life more and regard it as precious. With whatever time we have, we should use it wisely and not waste it. Let us treasure the life we have and spend it well.

The wisdom of factoring in the will of the Lord

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

It is wise to factor in the will of God in our thinking. James wrote about the will of God as part of a conditional sentence. Our plans should be understood on the condition that only if it is in accordance with God’s will, then we would be able to live our lives as we had planned it. We may not know what the will of God is for tomorrow or the year ahead. But God’s will would supersede all our plans. How should we factor in God’s will in our plans?

1. We should include God in our plans

While we may not be in control of many things in life, we know that God is in control. It is wise to include God and His will in the making of our plans.

2. It is out of God’s grace and mercy that we are alive

In view of the frailty of life, we recognise that it is only by the grace and mercy of God that we can be alive at all. We look to the Lord for His grace and mercy.

3. It is up to the Lord’s will and prerogative to give life to us

It is really up to the Lord to determine for us whether we should live or die. It is His prerogative to determine what His will is. If we have life, we can continue to do what we had planned to do. It is with humility that we should include God in the planning of our life rather than being arrogant or boastful, thinking that we have control of our life when we do not. (James 4:16) Let us be challenged to factor in God and His will in the planning of our life.

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