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James 4:15–16
“Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.’ As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.”
Christians are citizens of the kingdom of God, but that citizenship does not eliminate our responsibilities to our earthly neighborhoods, cities, and nations (e.g., see Rom. 13:1–7). Since we live in this world, this world can shape our thinking more than we recognize. It is easy for us to make plans for the future in ways that look like what secularized people do. How often do we prepare for tomorrow as if we knew for certain what will happen? Do we not sometimes set goals and then boast about how we will achieve them? Are we immune from establishing plans without bringing them to the Lord in prayer?
James 4:13–14 addresses this issue with respect to Christians engaged in commerce, though it can be applied in other areas as well. James has said that it is foolish for us to boast about tomorrow because we are limited creatures with short lifespans. In today’s passage, James develops his thoughts further by telling us how we should think about and plan for the future. As we make preparations, we should say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that” (v. 15).
The Apostle calls us not to abandon planning altogether but to make our plans in light of the providence of God. Scripture tells us that our plans will work out only according to the Lord’s sovereign will (Prov. 16:9; Eph. 1:11). This should not lead us into a fatalism that says that our plans and actions do not matter, but it should keep us humble people who hold on to our plans loosely and adapt readily when God directs things in ways that we have not anticipated. At all times we must remember, as Dr. R.C. Sproul writes, that “the primary consideration in all future planning is the will of the sovereign God.”
Having the right frame of heart and mind is more important than the phrase “if the Lord wills” itself. John Calvin says that James is really more concerned with our attitudes than with our precise words, noting that those firmly committed to divine sovereignty may at times speak as if they knew what will happen tomorrow. Calvin notes that while it is good to develop the habit of saying “if the Lord wills,” we cannot assume that omitting those words constitutes sin. The Reformer is undoubtedly correct. Phrases such as “God willing” or “if the Lord wills” can become mantras that we repeat without thinking. It is better to develop a conscious belief that God is sovereign over our lives and forget to say words such as “God willing” than to say them without really meaning it.
Coram Deo Living before the face of God
J.A. Motyer comments, “Too often Christians leave God in the church or at home . . . when they take the train to their offices.” As we go about our daily lives and make plans for the future, whether they involve our work lives or not, we can fail to take the Lord into account. May we be aware of His sovereign providence and seek to live all of life with the understanding that He directs whatsoever comes to pass.
For further study
- Genesis 50:15–21
- 1 Samuel 2:22–25
- Acts 16:6–10
- 1 Corinthians 4:19
The bible in a year
- Deuteronomy 20–22
- Mark 14:53–72