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James 4:13-17

¹³Look here, you people who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” ¹⁴How do you know what will happen tomorrow? For your life is like the morning fog–it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. ¹⁵What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” ¹⁶Otherwise you will be boasting about your own plans, and all such boasting is evil.

¹⁷Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.

Reflect

Have you ever heard the saying, “The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.”? It came from an eighteenth-century Scottish poet known for his poems in Scottish dialect, Robert Burns. You might have heard of another of his poems - Auld Lang Syne. The idea that he captured in his poem “To A Mouse” was that no matter how carefully a project is planned, something may still go wrong with it.

And that’s the problem. We sometimes get so wrapped up in our plans that we miss the important things in life. Why do we let our plans control our life so much? We don’t even know what tomorrow will bring! We need to take a step back and start looking toward helping others. If we were as concerned with others like we are concerned for ourselves, our life would be a lot more joyful! As it says in verse 17 - It is a sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it!

Respond

Why is it important not to get so wrapped up in our own life?

Is it really worth it to stress about tomorrow? What does God say about his provisions for you?

What aspect of your future are you holding on to that you should give to God?

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