“Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” 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 and brag. All such boasting is evil. Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.” (James 4:13-17 NIV)
The vapor of life . . . here today, gone tomorrow. A good funeral thought, but James wasn’t thinking of funerals. Instead, James was pointing to the arrogance of planning with no consideration of God’s will in the matter. How can we be certain of the future opportunity to complete our plans? James warns that such braggadocio is sinful.
James’ challenge is every procrastinator’s nightmare. Whatever the reason for our delay, we are arrogantly rejecting the importance of the present . . . now is the time. Delay or future planning is not a sin in and of itself. Indeed, our busy lives require the wisdom of planning and scheduling, but it should be done from the perspective of a misty, vaporous, vanishing life with God’s will factored in.
Acknowledging God’s will in our scheduling tends to bring focus. It frees us from the urgency of the moment and allows for emergencies, interruptions, and other unprepared contingencies. In addition, the very nature of our lives — vaporous and vanishing — should focus the importance of now.
While this is not a time management commentary, James’ words do tend to focus the management of our time. It causes us to focus on the essentials and put aside “the wasters.” So from both ends of the spectrum — “A” type personality or procrastinator — life should be lived with God’s will before us. This is so important that James issues a warning: our failure to actively involve it in our daily lives is a sin to us. In other words, simply knowing is not sufficient. We must act . . . here and now, whether dealing with a task or planning our schedules.
O, heavenly Father, hallowed be thy name. May your will be done in our lives as it is done in heaven. In the name of Jesus I pray. AMEN
Be encouraged today and acknowledge the will of God,