If the Lord Wills

[James 4:13-16]

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James%204:13-16&version=ESV

{Rev Charles Han}

How we view the future tells us about ourselves. For those of us who have made all these plans, those with a five year plan and are do sure of themselves. Also to those who think of the future and are anxious. This passage is for you.

This passage is not telling us that making a living is wrong; it is not saying that making plans is wrong. James is saying that we are presumptuous in thinking that we are in control of our lives. He calls it evil. What is so wrong with it? We are prideful about our own ability to chart our own lives. This is practical atheism. Planning lives with no input from God. Our lives are unpredictable, how foolish it us to presume we can plan it out all for ourselves. James calls our lives mist.
How is it that mist can control life? Presumptuous. Proverbs 16:9 "Lord Willing" is not to be a superficial phrase; it is to be a posture of the heart.

On the other side is anxiety and worry. For those who are insecure, we feel like we have too figure it all out. This too is living as if God is not in our lives. Still prideful living.

So digging further than pride, presumption, and anxiety, we can find the deeper sin. It is self-centered, self-absorbed ambition.
We want to add significance, meaning, satisfaction, and achievement. Self-centered. This is the heart of the midlife crises.

For those of us who hear this message and go out to continue making plans in an atheistic manner, God will teach you personally. God does not exist for us. We exist for His glory. God is significant and we are mist.

2 Corinthians 5:14-15 The gospel saves us from the need to succeed. From the need to be significant.
To live for Christ. Humble yourself and find real life in Christ.

Additional resources

"Just do something" - Kevin DeYoung
"Unmessianic sense of non-destiny" (article)

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Hope for the failures

John 21:14-19

There are people who've become paralyzed by failure. For those of us who struggle with this, there is hope.

In this passage, this hope is shown. Peter is one of the closest disciples of Jesus. He is the inner circle. And Peter fails. But look at how Jesus treats Peter...

Jesus calls us to face our failure

Jesus reminds Peter of his failure. Not just once, but three times. In front of a fire, just like where Peter failed Jesus. He makes Peter face it and own it. Peter answers humbly and tentatively. Jesus wanted to teach Peter something. Jesus asked the question in order to teach Peter something. Failure comes because we don't love Jesus. It comes because we depend on our own strength. We need to love and trust Him.

We come to Jesus because He died for our failures.

Jesus knew that Peter was going to fail. Jesus predicted as much. He knew what was going to happen. But Jesus paid for those failures. That is why we are drawn to Christ. His death paid for it all.

Jesus redeems and restores our failures

Grace is not the way the world works. Ex-cons don't really get a second chance. But look at how Jesus treats Peter after his failure. Peter is called again to shepherd and pastor the church. After the monumental failure. God restores him back to a fisher of men. The failure does not break Peter, but rather it makes him more useful for God. God takes us through failures and can make us more useful for God's purposes.

Our response

The proper response to a God who loves, forgives, restores, redeems, and loves...is to lay down our lives and submit to Him. Those who are forgiven much... Love much.

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