Treating Tomorrow with Humility
“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 in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil.” (James 4:13–16 NIV11)
I love this passage from James. It seems like it was written only yesterday – not the approximately 2000 years that separate us from the writings of the Lord’s brother. What do we learn here?
We are small.
Tomorrow is uncertain.
Planning without God is foolishness.
Humility is the key.
If it seems simple it’s because you have learnt the lesson already. If it seems like a waste of time the perhaps you’re still to learn. I think COVID19 has been so striking because of the incredible way it’s decimated not only people and communities, but plans as well.
We are a passing mist, God says to us. That’s true. Here today and blown away tomorrow. We have been reminded of the fragility and frailty of life. It is both precious and passing.
We are naturally planners. Our hopes for holidays, careers, education, weddings, even funerals. All in disarray. We can no longer go to this or that city. We can no longer spend a year here or there. We can no longer bank on carrying on business or making money. All these things are shown also to be fragile and dependent.
How should one live in light of these realities being laid bare?
We should depend on God. Understand all is riding, in the end, on His mercy. We should say, “If it is the Lord’s Will we will live, and do this or that.”
Please Lord, have mercy on us. Help us to see our frailty. Help us to truly believe our future is in Your hands and to plan with humility. Help us to turn in repentance from our arrogance. Please Lord, help us to submit out lives, our plans, our hopes, and our dreams to You. Thank you that we can know You will prove faithful with them because of Your great love to us in Your Son.
Amen.
Stuart.
