JAMES 4:13-17 GOD WILLING
13 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.” 14 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. 15 Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. 17 Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.
Our Muslim neighbors will often follow a statement of intention with the phrase, insha’allah – “God willing.” Although this does not guarantee there is any substantive meaning behind the practice, it should serve as a good reminder to us that we are not in charge of our time or even our lives. To disregard the sovereign God when we are making our plans is the height of arrogance. Thus St. James refers to such an omission as boasting; that is, considering ourselves as greater than we are.
Jesus addresses this attitude in the Parable of the Rich Fool.
16 And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. 17 He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ 18 “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.” ’
20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ 21 “This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:16-21)
The “ground produced a good crop,” yet the man takes all the credit for himself. In addition, he planned the rest of his life without taking God into consideration; therefore he is remembered as the “Rich Fool.”
This is not an indictment against human planning; it is a denunciation of the practice of not considering God when we plan. All our plans need to be presented to God since it is his will that we were created to fulfill. If we do not allow God into our planning how can we even hope to live according to his will? We need to repeat to our selves constantly, “God willing” – and mean it.
May I never plan without you, Lord. In all things let me always look first to you and your will and with each decision help me to always have the attitude that I will do it if it is according to your plan. Allow the fruit of your Spirit to be manifested in my life and my ministry. Amen.