James reflect a common image from both the Old Testament and philosophy that life is short and no one can know what the future will hold (v. 14) The real problem with making arrogant plans for the future is no one knows the length of their life.
Borrowing a common metaphor from the Old Testament, James describes life as a mist. An early morning fog can seem substantial, but it will be gone as soon as the sun rises.
Hosea 13:3 (ESV) Therefore they shall be like the morning mist or like the dew that goes early away, like the chaff that swirls from the threshing floor or like smoke from a window.
Wisdom of Solomon 2:4–5 (NRSV) Our name will be forgotten in time, and no one will remember our works; our life will pass away like the traces of a cloud, and be scattered like mist that is chased by the rays of the sun and overcome by its heat. 5 For our allotted time is the passing of a shadow, and there is no return from our death, because it is sealed up and no one turns back.
Rather than despairing over the brevity of life, James says everything ought to be done in the light of the will of the Lord (v. 15). This sort of phrase is so common to modern Christians we hardly think about saying “if it be your will” during prayer. But as Sophie Laws points out, this phrase does not have any real precedent from the Hebrew Bible. Everything that happens is God’s will, so there is no wishing that God’s will happens (or not).
Rather, Laws says “the lord wills” is “is part of Graeco-Roman idiom from Socrates’s commending of it to Alcibiades (Plato, Alc. i. 135d)… it was a knock on wood phrase in ancient cultures” (Laws, James, 192). A Roman might say deo volente, “God wills” as a kind of “if-all-else-fails” hopeful saying when beginning a task that need some luck (McKnight, James, 37). Paul uses a similar phrase in connection with his travel plans in 1 Corinthians (4:19, “I will come to you if the Lord wills;” 16:7 “I wish to spend some time with you if the Lord permits”) and in Acts 18:21.
The recent secular reaction against the phrase “thoughts and prayers” after a disaster is a sobering reminder that Christians throw out phrases without thinking. So many people say things like “our prayers are with the victims” after a disaster, but I have often wondered if they news reader really prayed for anyone (ever). Aside from a general misunderstanding of prayer and a cynical reduction of one’s piety to the occasional “moment of silence,” the criticism is coveting to me since there have been many times someone has asked me to pray for them about some specific issue and I have failed to pray, or even remember the request. The phrase “I will pray for you “becomes a nice thing to say even if I do not actually pray.
I think most Christians I know really do understand what prayer is about and do in fact pray for victims and their families at the time of a disaster. But too many people use the phrase “thoughts and prayers” like a Roman might use “if god wills.” It is a knock-on-wood phrase with little meaning, This is what James is upset about, people who make their plans and toss a quick “if God wills” into the mix to make it sound spiritual.
The person who believes they are in control of their lives are arrogant, boasting in things they have cannot control. The merchant’s boasts are pretentious. The noun ἀλαζονεία is used to describe the pretentious boasting of Antiochus IV Epiphanes (2 Macc 9:8). The merchants are foolish to boast in their planning, shrew business sense, and amazing profits because it was God who provided it all to them in the first place.
How do we live life guided by the will of God, yet responsibly plan for the future? As modern Americans we always plan for the future (retirement plans, for example, college savings for children, etc.) There is a balance between making wise plans for the future and knowing the future is uncertain. It is important to get a job in order to provide for your family, to save money to provide for yourself when you retire, all the Dave Ramsey things. But the wise person does not hold on to that accumulated wealth too tightly since circumstances may destroy all your saved wealth.
This kind of wise attitude toward preparing for the future has to be balanced with a clear understanding that everything can change in an instant. Some disaster could change everything so that your plans have to change in order to survive. As with Job, our attitude has to be “the Lord blesses, and the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord.”
I really enjoyed reading this specific blog. I know I mentioned this in a different blog, but I feel it can be used here. Granted, it is a pretty scary thought that we have absolutely no idea as to what is going to happen on a given day. What is key is that we cannot worry and focus so much on we have to do this or we have to do that, just because the world around us is telling us to. There was something in the book that really caught my eye and it is true and crucial to think about. For how we live today depends largely on what we believe about the future, for those beliefs shape our priorities and motivations (Jobes, 225). Joshua 1:9 NIV says that, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” We are all commanded to not worry about what the future holds. We all need to be more trusting in the fact that once we give up full control to God, no matter what we “plan” on doing in our lives, everything will be so much better.
I think that when people pray that God’s will, they still know that God is in control but they are acknowledging that it is in God’s hands. I think the same thing could be said for those who ask forgiveness for their sins. Jesus has already died for their sins, if they have accepted Jesus’ sacrifice as their own, for them to keep asking for forgiveness just shows that they are acknowledging that without Jesus there would be no way to have their sins forgiven. I get that the point that is trying to be proven is to not say ‘let God’s will be done’, just casually or carelessly means nothing, but I feel that if the person saying it is saying with reverence then it is a different situation. When praying that it is important to remember that what ever happens, that it is all God’s will, whether good or bad.
There is truly no known way that we can predict our future. In the business world, all of the numbers and projections are based solely on the current conditions happening at specified times. No formula or amount of time spent can predict what amount of money you get and what amount of commission you made. Just as it is in the business world, the Christian walk is the same. God doesn’t promise tomorrow, and we surely can’t predict when we meet our Lord an savior. Jeremiah 29:11 is a good reassurance passage where all of our fear an anxiety about the unknown come to a halt. God knows our plans and our plans that he sees as prosperous. When people make those comments, I can openly admit to saying that they won’t pray for them. I make the assumption because, like the article states, nobody really prays for them and just makes the comments to make them. One thing to keep in mind, is to always take each day like a blessing from God. It truly is a gift to be here on this earth as a child of God and enjoy his beautiful creation.
The issue I find concerning this subject matter is trying to map out a plan for my life. At the same time, I have to remember that the ways of God are not the ways of man and He planned all my days before one happened. (Psalm 139:16) The way I view this situation is by realizing that I can have a view of what my dreams look like but it is up to God whether or not those fall within the plan He has for my life. This pull towards desiring to follow my own desires is similar to what Jobes writes about the “dipsychos person”. (Pg. 222) I find myself at times longing to adhere to the “evil impulse” which is the wisdom of the world. (Pg. 223) Society has determined that those who do not plan are either immature, stupid or foolish. We can be tempted to assume things about what the next day will bring when we must realize that is outside of our control. As Proverbs 3:6 says, “Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take”. This can keep us from being disappointed when an ill-fated plan of ours inevitably fails.
One thing that people can relate to are the uncertainties that we come across about our futures. We come to college thinking that in order to “have a good life” we need a degree. To receive a degree in something we have passion. Throughout the process, to go to college for four years then off in the real world. But in reality, life doesn’t work like that. We don’t know if we ever going to use the degree that we are pursuing right now in the future. We can’t predict what lies ahead for us. The only thing we can know for sure is that God will love us whichever direction we head. If we are spreading his word and living an example for others that need guidance then we are doing our job. God knows the card that is dealt with us, we have choices to make. There will be decisions that will lead us to different avenues in life. We don’t know what the next step in our life will be. Matthew 6:34 states: “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own”. Never know if there will ever be a tomorrow, so focusing and applying yourself every present day will benefit you as an individual.
Whenever I read James 3:13-17 I am reminded of how fragile life is, but then I get thinking in circles and fall into the Ecclesiastical mindset that “everything is meaningless”. This tempts me to dismiss the experiences of this life because after all am I not just “… a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes” (James 4:14 ESV)? I struggle with this verse even though I can see it referencing God’s planning and timing ass being eternal and superior over my own. I understand that God is not limited to the same time bearings that we are, but how can I consistently and authentically trust in his will if everything I am and do is temporary? While I am currently caught up in the uncertainty that life brings,Long (2018) summarizes and encourages that, “Rather than despairing over the brevity of life, James says everything ought to be done in the light of the will of the Lord (v. 15)”. The difference between how we read this passage and the application we pull from it for our daily life is the attitude we bring to the reading. If you read it with a feeling of doom surrounding your life and have a negative perspective, you will be discouraged that you have no control over your future. However, if you come to the passage seeking God’s clarity and sovereignty and intentionally choose to see his plans and hand in your life, you will find the motivation and confidence to persevere through the storm that could have easily whisked you away.
I believe this to be my favorite blog post thus far because I the comparisons the reader can begin to make in their life to the post. In today’s society anxiety is a hot topic. People are continuously anxious, worried, and hesitant. For some cases people are so anxious they are unable to function within society. I agree with your statements that it is important to be smart and be prepared to live a life that is comfortable and enjoyable, but some people obsess. I am guilty of this as well. Over-preparation can lead to lack of faith. We are constantly anxious or preparing for something that may not even be in God’s plan. I believe many Christians turn to prayer for relief of their anxiety which is good. But it has been decided. It can be difficult to trust God’s decision that everything will be okay. At many times in scripture it states, do not be anxious, cast all your worries on God, etc. Which is comforting, but yet we all struggle with this. The idea of not having control over our lives is scary unsettling. I really appreciated the scripture that another student used in their post. Proverbs 3:6 says, “Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take”. This out of anything can give us comfort. It is in our control to seek God. And by doing this, He will guide us in the direction we are to go in. When we do the things that are in our control, we are able to let the things go that we do not have control over.
In a different class, we just talked about cultural idioms and I specifically looked at those Christian sayings that we think will fix the issue, but do not do anything. It is interesting to think that we as Christians use these words to fit God into our difficult situations or just sound spiritually superior. We cannot control our circumstances, God knows all and has worked out our futures for His good. When we look at making wise decisions we look to making God the center of those decisions. This does not mean that we neglect all care to plan for some of our future. Of course, we still need to save money for the unknown that will come about like a flat tire or a fire in your house. The balance comes in knowing how we serve God and keep Him the center of our finances, but also being responsible for the future. We have to understand that our whole lives can change with one phone call, one look away from the road, or one fall. Through any circumstances, we have to praise God. Life will come to sweep us off our feet, and sometimes it will be good things. That moment a phone call comes and we hear the worst thing possible, it is our choice to how we respond to God. We can choose to praise Him or reject Him. I think of the hymn “It is well,” it has been a constant reminder that whatever comes my way, God is still my rock, it is still God because God knows what He is doing. Our response is our responsibility. We can choose to love and praise Him because of His faithfulness and unconditional love.
I found the idea of “making arrogant plans for the future” rather interesting. To me, it is rather tough for an “arrogant” plan to be quantified or defined, and I struggle with understanding this idea. Is an arrogant plan one that comes from a disregard for the fickleness of life? If so, could the very same action or plan be considered not arrogant if someone makes it yet understands that life can end at any time? I am unsure that there is such a thing as an arrogant plan but rather an arrogant person that makes the plan itself. I think the context of the situation and the individuals involved needs to be considered. When I read James 4:14-16, I feel that what is meant by “arrogant schemes” are those plans which lack the consideration of God’s will thinking we are in control and not God.
Changing gears a little bit, I found what you said about the attitudes and actions accompanying phrases such as, “if God wills” and “thoughts and prayers” all too common and not genuine. I think this comes from a lack of respect and complacency, taking for granted the power of prayer and God Himself. I feel that many people use prayer or the phrases above to sound ultra-spiritual and make themselves feel like a good Christian. In many ways this is very similar to the Pharisees discussed throughout the New Testament (Matthew 6:2; Luke 11:39).
A good understanding and true belief in the power of God makes one not simply say “if God wills” or “thoughts and prayers”, but rather causes them to act these beliefs out, living in a way that shows the belief in this power. This connects back to the idea of planning for the future. When we understand that God’s will may differ, and most likely is different, from ours, the way we plan becomes different and we become followers of God’s will. We won’t boast in our own plans (vs. 16) but rather we seek God’s.
On the topic of prayer and not praying when you say you are going to, I was meeting with a student to talk about a project for my internship and we started talking about prayer. They were feeling unworthy about their ability to participate in ministry. This led to a conversation about their inability to pray on behalf of people. So we began to discuss our worthiness in Christ. When people ask for prayer we need to be willing to pray for them when they ask for it instead of hiding behind pride and “waiting to do it later.” A lot of the time, we choose not to pray for people because we do not have the time at the moment or we may be embarrassed to pray where we are at but the truth is when a brother or sister asks for prayer we need to be willing to do so. We are worthy to pray on behalf of others because our worthiness is in Christ. We just have to be willing. He does not call the qualified, He qualifies the called. This is true with the future and what James writes about in chapter 4. We can prepare and make plans but we need to have an openness and willingness if God shifts or changes his plan. His will is going to happen whether we plan for it or not. One goal to have in this Christian life is to have complete reliance on the Lord. Whether he gives or takes away he is still in control and still sovereign (Job 1:21). Those that truly follow the Lord know that their own wealth and comfort are not theirs. This is a gift given by the Lord that can be used to glorify him just like anything else.
P. Long’s post on James 3:14-16 was an insightful and convicting blog that off the bat reminded me of God’s sovereignty and the fact I am a mere human who does not know when my earthly life will end. P. Long brought up the aspect that Christians may throw around the phrase “I will pray for you” and or “thoughts and prayers”, correlating this aspect of 21st Christianity with how James is addressing those who throw around the phrase “if God wills”. Jobes states that James is identifying the rich as those love the things of this world and thus make their own plans of increasing their own wealth without consideration of God or His plans (Pg. 228). How foolish are we as humans to not seek God and His will for our daily decisions. P. Long contrasts this point from James writing that those who boast in things they can not control are extremely foolish. Rather we ought, as James writes in James 3:15, to do everything in light of God and His will. I appreciate the conclusion of this blog, bringing to attention Job’s statement of the Lord blesses, the Lord is takes away, blessed be the Lord. In this way Job exemplifies an understanding that God is always in control and we need to seek His will out.
Lately, I have been reading a lot about what the Christian thing to say or what not to say and it has a lot to do with what this post mentioned. It is a convicting topic to talk about because there is exposure and vulnerability when people find out that we do not pray like we say we do. Also saying “thy will be done” when we just say it to say it and not actually believe it when we say it. But P. Long makes a good point of God’s will is always done regardless if we say it or not. Our time here is limited and we need to treat it as such. Matt. 6:34 mentions to not worry about tomorrow for it worries about itself. We do not know how much time we have left on this earth, and we should not waste our time worrying about it. We should look to God for all of our answers and seek him first before anything in our lives. If it is the Lord’s will to bless, he will; if it is to take away, he will; we just have to be obedient to his word and have the attitude of Job.
Reading through this post it seems very dark and scary, but in this post, it speaks some truth. The wisdom of Solomon piece that was in there really hit me and made me think about my life now and how I would be remembered. Reading pieces like that really makes you think and wonder what you can do better while you are here on this earth. We aren’t granted endless amount of time here on earth and I think that it is important to remember our goal and mission while we are here. Everyone has a purpose here and we all know that, some people will be remembered longer, and some will be remembered for the number of things that they have done but as the verse says over time we will be forgotten. I think that is crazy relating this to Christianity. Jesus has been remembered for generations for the sacrifice that he did for everyone. Even those that don’t believe in him may have heard this story. I just find that crazy that someone like Jesus although was fully God was still a man walking this earth and the fact that his life is remembered must be a reason why. It also makes you wonder why you doubt at the end of it, why you doubt about faith. Although we will never be able to live up to the life Jesus had here, we still can go spreading the stories and life that Jesus had done while he was here.
When I think of how many times I have asked someone to pray for me and was given, “I will.” I do wonder how often people actually pray. It is true that prayer is extremely powerful, I have witnessed it many times and so it is frustrating when “I will pray for you” is thrown around as if it means nothing. Prayer should be meaningful and it should always be intentional and it should always be real and taken seriously. I always wanted to touch on the idea of control from this post. It said, “the person who believes they are in control of their lives are arrogant, boasting in things they have cannot control.” I have seen Christians believe that they are still in control of their own lives and I have too subconsciously thought I could control my life. I think as Christians we should not want to be in control, we should want to give up that control to the Lord, which is really what we do when we’re saved and accept Christ, we hand over our lives to God. So, I think giving up control and realizing that God has a plan and God is in control is apart of being a Christian and it’s important that as Christians, we do that.
I love the message that this passage is getting at. The topic of how to live out our lives as Christians has really captivated me during the past year or so. There are many ways to both live in honor of God’s will and to also responsibly plan for the future. Like Dave Ramsey puts it, financial literacy is an important aspect in our lives. There are many examples of how we can plan for our lives and for our future, but where does the line cross in order to give God complete control over his plans for us? We should plan for retirement and for our kids, but what isn’t necessary is planning for much else. God;s plan for each of us is different. We need to embrace the fact that his will, will be done. If we plan for things that haven’t happened, then you arent’ really respecting the current God we serve.
I Like what you stated above, that people often get caught up in the words that they say. There are some phrases we all say from time to time, like “My thoughts and prayers are with you.” Do we actually do this every time we say it? James warns us against talk like this.
When I think of the future it gives me a lot of anxiety. I know that God is in control of my future, and He has everything planned out but sometimes I question if God is calling me to do something or not. What if it isn’t what He is calling me to do, and I go and do it? One thing that is mentioned in P Long’s post is that when someone asks for prayers and another person says “I’ll be praying for you” part of me agrees with him that do you think they actually pray or do they just say that? I personally have failed to pray multiple times for someone who has asked me to pray for them or their family. Most Christians do understand what prayer is about but some people use the phrase as just a saying and they don’t actually request the prayer to God. In James it talks about not being guaranteed tomorrow and lately with our world and all of the deaths from sicknesses, diseases, mental health problems, depression, anxiety, etc. Personally I try my best to tell my loved ones I love them and I try to have the best time and make memories with my family and friends because in our world today so much is going on and you never know when God is going to call someone home. You may think that you are prepared for the future and have all of your plans figured out for example, what you are going to do after college, when you are getting married, etc. But the Lord can change any of that in a snap. You have to always be prepared and ready for changes in your life as things won’t always go the way that you have planned.
It is safe to say that we will never know when it is our time to go. We are constantly making future plans that we may never meet. It is important to remember who is in control of “our” plans and our lives. Life always seems to be taken for granted until something happens that presents life as raw. I know that in my case when I am listening to someone telling me about something bad that has happened or is happening I am quick to say that I will be praying for you. I struggle to actually make the time to do this or often it drifts away. I made a goal for myself to start praying for people or asking them if I can pray for them right at that moment. Or as soon as I walk away the first thing that I would do would be to pray for them. This has been a huge focus for me and I feel that now when I say that I will pray for you it has a lot more meaning behind it. I actually mean what I am telling them. You never know what life or God is going to throw at you. We cannot guarantee that we will be here in a year from now. In that case, retirement plans, savings, plans, and all other situations will not matter. It is all about how you are living your life now. Everyone is so quick and eager to help you plan out the future, but how can one plan for something that they do not know is coming at them? I am a victim of this as well along with just about every other person alive. We plan for the uncertain future. We plan for God’s future. Professor Long states that: “The real problem with making arrogant plans for the future is no one knows the length of their life.” (Long, 2018) This passage really hits hard and makes people remember who is in control.
How do we live life guided by the will of God, yet responsibly plan for the future? This is possible, however, without being responsible can easily be made impossible. Taking the time to map out how you want your life to look is not bad in itself. It becomes meaningless worry when you worry when things do not go your way. Everything is in God’s control and under his overall supervision. “Boastful, arrogant words categorize sin” (554). This is meaning that being boastful in what you are doing and whats going on your life is sinful. This is not only because it is a direct sin, it is because God is the only one who controls reality. The thing that you as a person are boasting about could in the next few days fall apart and a disaster could tear it all away from you. This fact is something that has slapped me in the face one too many times because I like being arrogant to what I have been blessed with. Without recognizing that everything, every day, every breathe is a gift from God I cannot truly live in a way that is honoring and edifying to Him. The title of this post summarizes it all, life is uncertain. Uncertainty for most is not a comfortable place to be in so they choose to resort to drugs, sex, drinking, etc. to ease the discomfort from uncertainty. When as a believer we need to find our security and certainty in the Lord only.
Jobes (2011) emphasizes in her book that the letter of James is “preaching about typical circumstances that his readers may sometime face or may be experiencing in the moment” (p. 163). The questions posed in this post seem to really emphasize this statement. When it comes to James’ reminder that we do not know what tomorrow holds, I think of our human nature to want to be in control. I am a planner, I will plan vacations (both real and hypothetical) months or even years in advance. I like to look towards the future and “plan” what my life will look like down the road. However, the reality is we truly do not know what our future holds. When I first graduated with my Associates Degree way back in the 90’s, never in my wildest plan would I have seen myself returning to school in my mid-40’s. If someone would have told me this would have been my path, I would have laughed. But honestly, I think that is the beauty of trusting God with our lives. We can, and should, have some plan for our future. However, if God places another path in front of us, we need to be willing to listen to that calling and go down that pathway. I have struggled with this and there have been times when I have tried to ignore God’s calling. But in the end, I have always realized that God’s plan is so much better than mine could ever be.
When it comes to verse 15 and the idea of saying, “if the Lord wills”, I have never really been a fan of that phrase. It has always just seemed to be a flippant, “Christian” phrase to use when there is nothing else left to say. But as I was reading through this blog and James 4, I began to see what these words might mean. I do not think it is necessarily saying that God’s will can flip-flop, but rather putting God’s will is in front of my own. For instance, when we moved to Michigan, that was not my will at all. It was about the farthest thing from “my will”! But I knew deep in my heart that this was God’s will and new path for our lives. If I had placed my own personal will as a higher priority, I wonder where we would now be as a family. James 4:17 says, “so whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” I see the idea of “if God wills it” to be a reminder that we need to follow His will and not our own.
Reference
Jobes, K.H. (2011). Letters to the Church. Zondervan Publishing.
The truth is our life is uncertain because we don’t know what is going to happen to us in the future, so we just focus on planning on things for our own life. It is true that life is short. It may never know where you are going to be, you made yourself think you are going to live a long life to see what the future holds. I agree about the real problem that we do make arrogant plans for the future, and no one knows about their life (Long, 2018). We are selfish or stubborn to pay attention to our life. There are Christians may not know what their life is like in the future, but some may have dreams or visions that they are not going to live that long. I can share my story about dreams and visions. When I was young, I had two dreams about mom dying and my sister had one dream about her dying too. When my mom passed away, a friend told us that my mom told her that she was not going to live that long. She told my mom not to think that way or don’t say that. Life can be unexpected. There are non-believers who may or may not have a good life, but their life will be cut short. I sometimes question why people’s lives were cut short whether they were believers or non-believers? I just don’t understand why they have to go. The only thing I can say is that God knows.
Living in America I feel that most of us take our lives for granted based on the freedoms that we have and the lives that we are able to live. We see this with what is going on in Ukraine right now and us as Americans, at least me, are very fortunate being able to live in a place where I feel safe and can go out every day and not be scared for my life because of threats from other countries or those that come from within the borders of our own country. Like I said in my last response, we sometimes get this question of “where do you think you will be in 5 years and what will you be doing.” Everyone has a plan for their life and goals that they want to accomplish but there is nothing in our lives that we can really rely on to have the life that we want to have. There are many things that may happen to us whether that is with our health or somethings that change what our plans may be for our future. There is only one thing as Christians that we can say is certain in our lives and that is eternal life from God himself.
I think the last couple of years have really highlighted how true this is. We all make plans for our lives. It is part of our culture, from the time you are in kindergarten, people start asking you, “what do you want to be when you grow up?” Then, by the time you are in high school, you are expected to know what you want to do with the rest of your life. In college, everyone asks about what job you have lined up. Then come questions about marriage, and plans for a family. The world wants you to plan your life out. But 2020 showed just how fickle our planning can be sometimes. No one was ready for the world to just shut down. No one knows what the future holds. No one knows how long their life will be. It is true that the phrase ‘if the Lord wills’ has become so cliche in modern culture. I personally do not like to use it because of how cliche it is. I thought the blog had an interesting explanation of the Greco-Roman usage of the phrase. I always connected it to Jesus’ words in the Garden of Gethsemane, where he says, “not my will, but yours be done.” This context would have more of a meaning of surrendering our selfish human nature to God’s ultimate plan for good. With this intention, to lay down ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Jesus, the phrase can have good meaning. However, the common context of adding it to make your plans seem more spiritual or for a good luck charm is quite sad. As a college student, looking to go into full-time missions, I have felt the uncertainty of life even now. I have no control over my life, I am blown about by the circumstances of life. What I have realized is the most important thing during the uncertainties of life is where my focus remains. Hebrews 12:2 says to fix our eyes on Jesus. And really, that is the most important thing. In the midst of the constantly changing circumstances, we find ourselves a part of, we must fix our eyes on the unchanging God and what he has done for us. And, as the old hymn says, “many things about tomorrow, I don’t seem to understand, but I know who holds tomorrow.” I might face uncertainty, but I know who is in control of all my uncertainty.
I really enjoyed reading this post. I think all of the things said throughout were good reminders of things we so often forget. We live through the uncertainty daily, yet we lose sight of the need to rely on the Lord. Bringing up the idea of prayer, especially in relation to uncertainty is important. Adding to the taught about saying “I will pray for you” and not following through. In our world of uncertainty, it can be easy to get caught up in our own plans and only go to God when we remember he’s there. We let our control take precedence over his. Someone once explained to me the analogy of the vending machine prayer. One who only goes to God when they need something, casually checking out what he has and then walking away if we don’t like the choices. I think this happens a lot when we reach a period of uncertainty.
I think it is very easy for mankind to become self-absorbed. We become arrogant to the future and our lives as if we are in control of it all. However as James points out, “Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” (James 4:14). Our lives are shorter than we probably assume they are going to be, and we should start paying attention to the moments that are in front of us. James revisits Hosea’s analogy of life as a mist in order to emphasize the uncertainty in our lives and maybe even hinting at the fragility of it (Long, 2018). This means that there is a motivation to focus on our lives in Christ. I think Christians and certain denominations tend to think and focus too much on eternal life, and preparing for eternity. However, we were given the gift to be on this world for a reason, and when all we think about is life after this one we lose out on the purpose of living this life. Our lives might be like a mist, but mist still has a purpose for existing. We have a purpose here on in this life and on this world, and if we aren’t paying attention to the will of God then we are losing out on a key aspect of life and God as Creator.
Life is short but not meaningless. What needs to be done is to slow down and take your time in life. Rushing only leads to mistakes, especially when senses are dulled in their limited focus. I do find it interesting how the Roman phrase of “God’s Will” (knock-on-wood) is widely used today, even among Christians. We, including me, unfortunately, say we will pray for someone but then we push it back too often enough that the prospect of praying vanishes from our minds. The prayers are meant to assuage the anxieties of believers and that of other people, and by forgetting the anxieties, the pain, and the fear stays.
The anxiety limits who we are and who we could become. We worry what will happen in our lives, and if we made the right decisions. We worry about the future, and we worry about the people around us. James comments on this problem by saying, “Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil” (James 4:14-16).
Often being “in control” sounds so appealing. We do not like to let go of that control and submit. I, for one, have found that whenever I feel a loss of being in control, I either do something under the illusion of being in control, or I dig my nails into my arm until visible, temporary marks are left behind. We hold on to the plans we have for ourselves, too tightly that when something bad happens we blame God for it. The will of God hangs there in the back of our minds; it is something we ignore or forget about but talk about as a form of nicety. If God’s will does not align with ours, we unconsciously think that God’s will is the devil’s will. The best way to live life guided by God’s will, while simultaneously preparing for the future, is to meditate on God’s word, pray, slow down, and understand no plan is set in stone. Anything can change in an instant.
The whole idea of the will of God James talks about is best described by the book of Job. In there he says, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I shall return there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD” (Job 1:21). What Job is discussing is how God has the sole power of giving life, and thus he has the sole power of taking it away as well. By giving God the power, we are relieving ourselves of unnecessary burdens that may lead to increasing levels of anxiety and a loss of control. Giving control over to God may be a hard thing to accomplish, but it is necessary, and it does lift pressure off considerably in ways that is hard to consider in the moment of trials until you actually give that control up.
Knowing the brevity of life, believers or non-believers make a decision to either give themselves to something, or “live life to the fullest.” Surely most will unknowingly choose the latter because giving yourself to something and then not enjoying that purpose can sound pointless. Short life can also make us loath that short life or become grateful for the things that this life has given us. For most of our lives we are making plans about the future, but I don’t think we should worry about the future, because even though it is uncertain what is certain is a future either in this life or the next. It’s a difficult concept to grasp, that we are to live a life devoted completely to God, because it isn’t in our nature to live a life as selfless as that. It is especially difficult in a society where the individual is the most important thing, and nothing else trumps that. But its not only a command to give our whole lives to God, but it is why we were created. It seems almost against our nature to be as committed as God wants us, and there was only two points in humanities long history where that was the case, before the fall, and Jesus. Holding on to what we have now and can make us lose sight of what the real goal in life is, which is living an eternal life with God.
I think this post is fascinating because the younger generations are taking this “life is short” saying to the extreme. Many younger people now need to do something to plan for the future and only live in the present. It is the lifestyle that many people are living in modern-day Amercia. So I see that there can be a good balance but it is not all about just living like life is uncertain. As a college student, I think this is a difficult topic to deal with because of just starting life. Where to live and where to work are very real and important questions to ask. However, how does one go about making decisions when life is so uncertain? The rest of the book of James is a good starting point. He is talking about people focusing on money. This chapter has always had a theme that stood out to me as, a change in perspective. Perspective is really important when looking at the future. I have always had an interest in the guiding of the Holy Spirit in the modern world. I am surrounded by people who say that the Holy Spirit will guide my steps but also people who don’t think that the Holy Spirit is active like that in people’s daily lives. I have changed my perspective and James highlights looking at where your heart is at. If your heart is still in a bad place but you have no money you are not doing better than someone who has lots of money. Jobes touches on this in chapter seven, where she talks about the way James is looking at the “rich” versus the “poor”. The people who love God and follow after Him are the ones who are seen as the ones who are following God not focusing on resources and therefore seen as “poor”. When you change your perspective and if your heart is in a good place when making plans. These plans are going to follow the path of what scripture lays out for Christians. This is how we should find the balance of plans for the future and let go of the need to have control over it. Flexibility in your thinking makes the future not as scary and unknown. No matter the situation if you change your perspective to reflect these themes that James is pointing out like relying on God instead of your own strength, you will find success in the right place.
There exists a prominent delineation between clinging onto everything you have in the present moment as if it will never fade away and preparing for the future. One is encouraged in Scripture, while the former is contradicted by several passages such as, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal” (Matt 6:19-20 ESV). Long (2018) writes, “This sort of phrase is so common to modern Christians we hardly think about saying “if it be your will” during prayer.” The common misconception associated with this type of statement is that everything happening under the sun and beyond is decidedly God’s will; therefore, how can one “wish” for God’s will to be executed? Long (2018) further describes that Christians frequently throw out phrases that can be known as “knock on wood” sentences, window dressing that leaves the impression of a sturdy faith while covering up the fact that people are making their self-conceited plans boastfully. He remarks that this is done with the “thoughts and prayers” sentiment, which likely disguises the fact that we simply make the statement known for others to feel better instead of truly praying for them. I wonder if people would react the same way if someone were to utter something derisive and ungodly such as, “I hope I develop a crippling alcohol addiction,” amending to it the adage “if God wills it,” as if it is a luck-infused bandaid. Jobes (2011) opposes this line of thinking, “Announcing plans for self-profit under the delusion that one is in control of one’s life contradicts a trusting dependence on the Lord required for wise living” (pp. 224-5). Life is uncertain and people speaking and “considering it done,” as it were, fail to recognize that only God can speak reality into existence (Jobes, 2011, p. 225).
While on the topic of wisdom literature, there is a profound exclamation of God’s overarching plan over all that occurs in the Old Testament. Ecclesiastes 3:11 reads, “He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.” Everything, from the past to the future, is within God’s periphery and His ever-presiding plan. Why bother worrying about what comes tomorrow when today has enough troubles of its own (Matt 6:34)? Huest (1955) notes how one’s overreliance on charting out every single thing that occurs in their life “recognizes the habitual attitude of the unsaved human heart toward the problems and difficulties of life” (p. 43). Carefulness as applied in Greek meant to be full of “anxious care,” a synonym for worry and a forceful use of the term which indicates forbidding the continuance of an act already going on (Huest, 1955, p. 45). Can we in the modern age truly say that we respond the same to the inevitabilities of life under God’s care and take them in stride as things He has foreordained to happen since the creation of the universe?
As I think about this concept of being a good steward of my money but also trusting God, I know my current situation as a newlywed and a college student could possibly make this challenging. Our hope is to be wise with our money and invest it in things that are important and necessary, but to also trust God and know that he will provide. The tendency that I think a lot of young people (myself included) might have is to make more and more money to have more and more freedom to meet our desires. This goal can be dangerous if that is all one is focused on. If their aim in life is to gain as much earthly wealth as possible, their life will have been lived for temporary and worthless treasures compared to heavenly eternal treasure. In the end, it will have done them no good. So how do we live a life in which ensures it is purposeful for an eternal life with God? Jobes talks about how many people can only envision preparation for their earthly future. “Most people have a very shortsighted view of the future that might extend to living now in a way that will afford a comfortable retirement, but the biblical writers want us to see that how we live now is related to our after life and to choose to live accordingly” (Jobes, 225). How we live now determines the trajectory of our eternal future. Matthew 6: 21 tells us that “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” If we focus the course of our lives on building our treasure in heaven, our hearts will be focused on our faith in Christ Jesus our Lord. 1 Timothy 6:17 says: “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.” This is a reminder that while we think we have control of our finances and wealth, God is who truly provides for us not only physically but spiritually. We do not have to worry about making sure we have enough money in this life, but making sure that we are investing in the eternal impact of salvation with our Lord and Savior.
Jobes, Karen H. Letters to the Church: A Survey of Hebrews and the General Epistles. Zondervan, 2011.
This is a topic that a lot of people like to talk about, but we do not apply to our lives. I know as a Christian this is one of the biggest things to do daily. Because to me in my day-to-day struggles, I don’t always think about God’s will for my life. I think that I got it that I can handle my own life and that I don’t have to ask for every situation. In reality, I do. It’s a lot easier to ask God about the big decisions because they are life-changing. For example, I prayed for several weeks if I should attend Grace, and it not only took a lot of patience but faithfulness. I know there have been things in my life that I have prayed for years and that are still totally unclear. I honestly think God wants our lives to be uncertain. If our lives were smooth sailing and perfect we wouldn’t need God. We wouldn’t have to ask him for wisdom or guidance in a situation. God allows troubling times in our lives so that he can come out on top. God shows that he is the light at the end of the tunnel for us even when we are in the deepest and darkest valley. I think as Americans we have destroyed the true meaning of prayer. Most Western Christians pray because “you need to” or “you need something”. In the blog, Plong talked about how new reporters say, “Our prayers go out to the victim’s families”. I would say 99% of those reporters will not even think about God after that. We also way overuse “I’m praying for you” or when a pastor asks if we will pray for something and we raise our hands. Sadly it will leave most of our minds minutes later. I know I’m guilty of this. I have been trying to get better at it and praying for someone. I don’t think it makes you less of a Christian if you do that, but I do think it shows your character. We need to start taking prayer more seriously because prayer can change you and others dramatically. It doesn’t allow work out to the way that we like it, but when God answers a prayer with a yes it’s amazing.
People who think that they have control over their lives are quite ignorant. The amount of unknown that we encounter on a daily basis alone is proof that there should be at least some uncertainty. A main thing people learn in therapy is that they can only control their own “bubble.” There is no way to control absolutely everything in your life no matter what. That is one of the major relief points of being a child of God. Not only was God already in control anyways, now your trust is in him. All elements are out of your hands and into God’s. We are in the palm of his hands.
Leaving everything in God’s hands does not mean that we can be arrogant though. Does it mean that we can walk with more certainty? Absolutely. Does that mean that we are invincible? Not at all. We need to be intentional with our walk with God. Our lives are not solved because we have invited the Holy Spirit into our hearts.
The more I think about the concept, the more I see how harmful it is to just say, “I’ll be praying for you.” For starters, it is not the action of a person of integrity. It is lying. It deprives both of you of a chance to encounter God. It is especially harmful in the case of a non-believer. If you tell that that you will pray and you neglect to, there is a strong possibility that they won’t see God work in that situation. Be honest. Be humble. Be human.
I really enjoyed reading this blog post as the topic is something that really is uncertain on its own. Life brings much uncertainty and we don’t know what it’s going to throw our way at any moment. I think James 4:14-16 really explains this well using such things as imagery, metaphors, and context from both the Old and New Testament. In the ESV study bible in James 4:14 states “you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes”. This verse really stuck with me. We are here for such a short time compared with overall time, and when we’re done we sort of just die and vanish. Using metaphors like this really helps show the uncertainty of life and give us readers a greater understanding on the topic as a whole. I feel with figurative language in the sense of the Bible, it helps me as a reader understand everything. Another verse I thought correlated well with the “Uncertainty of life” topic is found in James 4:16 in the ESV study Bible which states “As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil”. This verse shows how the merchants boasted about their wealth, but it was God who gave it to them. We as christians must not boast about what we have because it is uncertain how we got it but, We should know it’s from God.
Recently, I have observed many more social media commenters say something to the effect of “We’re sick and tired of your thoughts and prayers. Get up and do something!” This article uniquely reminds me of this sentiment especially considering the hallmark of James’ epistle being a Christian’s outworking of righteousness. The question does indeed arise as posed about how to plan for this outworking of righteousness while holding to the reality that only God truly knows all things and is in control of them; a question that I believe finds its answer in the preceding context to these verses. James 4 opens with discourse on quarrels and fights amongst the audience that arise from corrupted, internal desires and motives. These flawed desires and motives can also cause strife between us and God especially regarding control. It is evident that, as the Jewish Christian audience struggled then, we struggle today with the propensity towards pride. As a great friend and minister Brennan Joseph says often, “pride is a declaration of independence from God” (Joseph, 2021). It is because of this that James exhorts the audience to submit themselves to God, to resist the devil, to draw near to God, to wash their hands and purify their hearts … to humble themselves before God. In the midst of the uncertainties of life, James reminds his audience, and we learn, that the only place of safety and assurance is faith that God indeed knows best and has our best interests at heart in his infinite wisdom and power. When we trust God, we employ both the natural wisdom he imparted within creation and the natural processes, and the wisdom that he provides by the witness of the Holy Spirit in the Scriptures and in Christian community.
Throughout my life I have always been concerned with the future. I often times find myself thinking about the best way to plan. When in reality nothing ever has gone like the way I planned. Life as a college student specially makes this challenging because everything is always changing, but the greatest issue is money. In the world today I know so many people who worry. We are called to live a life pleasing to the Lord. He promises us to take care of us so why worry? I always catch myself worrying about money, about plans, about what my life out of college is going to look like. My mom often has to remind me of the blessings that I have in my life, and also reminds me with Matthew 6:34, ““Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” We are called to build up our treasure in heaven. We should be concerned on how we are living our lives for the Lord and seek to honor Him in all that we do.