Understanding Life

by Pastor Mark
May 16, 2024

 

Understand that life is both certain and uncertain

How should we understand life? The Apostle James sought to be practical and candid about the reality of life. Some parts of life are certain. We may wish to live a normal life as we expect it to be. Life goes on as it should. But life can also be uncertain, as death can happen at any time. It is unexpected and unpredictable.

The problem lies with leaving God out of our plans

“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)

  1. There is nothing wrong with making plans for our life and work.
  2. It is wise to work out our plans concerning our future.
  3. A good business plan augurs well for our work.
  4. But James raised the problem of not taking God into consideration.
  5. We leave God out of our plans and assume that everything will go according to our plans.
  6. But in reality, it does not.

A realistic perspective of life

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

  1. The brethren had not factored in the uncertainty of life.
  2. It is impossible for us to know what will happen tomorrow.
  3. We need to be prepared for the unexpected.
  4. The use of vapour as an imagery of life is most apt.
  5. The life span of a vapour is extremely short.
  6. b. Vapour rises when it is formed but soon, it also vanishes.
  7. It is symbolic of the frailty of life…it is very transient.

A correct perspective to have

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

  1. There is a need to factor in God and His will/plan into our lives.
  2. As a sovereign God, He determines His will/plan according to His power and authority.
  3. He has absolute control over our lives and determines whether we live or die.
  4. God has the prerogative to exercise His will.
  5. Each day is set according to the Lord’s will…whether we live or die.
  6. We should appreciate the will of God…as we live each day because of His grace and mercy.
  7. We also ought to accept the will of God…when we face the problem of death by exercising our faith and trust in Him.
  8. If God were to give us life, then we should continue to plan and live out our life.

The problem of arrogance

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

The root problem is arrogance. The proud tends to boast about his achievements in life. This underlies someone who thinks that he is a “self-made” man. He brags about his wealth and success. Such arrogant boasting is evil. God is set aside and is not acknowledged at all. The proud thinks he is in control of his life, but he is not. God can end his life very quickly. It is humbling to realise the frailty of life and how uncertain it is.

Let us choose not only to plan for our life but to also factor in God…His will/plan. Let us be wise and understanding in planning for our lives…placing our faith and trust in the Lord’s will/plan.

Back to Article Listing

More Articles

View more