“God Willing”

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.” Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. For you are just a vapor that appears for a little while, and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.” But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil.  So for one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, for him it is sin. James 4:13-17
 
So, have you made your plans for a summer vacation? How about retirement plans? In our society we are encouraged to make plans and we’re commended for how far our plans go in the future. However, James is pointing out that in the grand scheme of things, our life span is like vapor that appears for a short while and then vanishes.
 
James also points out, that our lives are dependent on God who has His own plans for us. And since we don’t always see how our plans fit into God’s plans for us, it’s wise to include a caveat in the plans we make: “If the Lord wills.”
 
Many cultures include this caveat without having to think too much about it. In Spanish cultures, it’s common to hear someone say, “Como Dios quiere,” which means “As God wills.” In Muslim cultures, people say “Inshallah,” which means “As Allah wills”. In red neck cultures we hear, “Good Lord willin’ and the creek don’t rise.”
 
Thankfully, God is in control of our futures. Thankfully, each moment of our lives belongs to our Lord who loves us and protects us. We can remind ourselves and each other of this comforting truth by simply including the phrase, “God willing” whenever we speak of our future plans.

In Christ,

Pastor David