6. Faith on Display in Your Priorities

“When has an unexpected change turned out better than the original plan?”

Sometimes things don’t turn out how we plan. We can be wrong about the future and what we plan to do.When that happens, how do we respond? In this last session on the Book of James we’ll see where our focus should be even as we plan for the future.

As we look at this tonight let this statement be our focus...

No matter what lies ahead, maintain your trust and dependence on God.

While wonderful things can happen by seeming “accident,” most success in life comes with careful planning. Culture lifts planning up as a virtue with warnings like: “Those who fail to plan, plan to fail.” How do we react, though, when our plans run counter to God’s or circumstances change and block our path?

Followers of Christ are called to live by faith, trusting the goodness of God’s will and always depending upon Him.

In our study James has addressed problems in the church of divisiveness, selfishness, envious attitudes that manifest in critical speech. Now he focuses on those who attempt to make plans for the future and leave God out of the equation.

We can all be found guilty of that we say, when I get to this stage of life I will do X,Y, or Z and we don’t stop and ask God what His plan for our life may be.

James 4:13–17 NKJV

13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; 14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” 16 But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. 17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.

James puts the reader on the defensive with that statement in verse 13. “Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”

Any business person has had that thought or made that statement, I plan to do this and that and here is my timeline for doing it.

James exposes their sin and ours we at times sin presumptuously as we state what our future will hold.

In verse 14 James lets us see a grim reality, tomorrow may never come.

James 4:14 NKJV

14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.

Life is short don’t presume to have a tomorrow. So if we are not supposed to make presumptuous statements about the future how is it that we plan for the future? Do we just take each day as it comes never planning for the next or is their a better solution?

James 4:15 NKJV

15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.”

James wants us to understand that planning for the future is not wrong but he wants us to realize God’s part. We should not make our plans apart from God. We need to be open to God changing our plans and seeking His will when He does refocus us.

I can think of two Missionaries right now who are in the process of seeking God’s Will in changing fields of service. The physically cannot serve where they would like to serve God. Their plan was to serve in those places which is a right thing but God allowed the status quo to change and they had to be willing to change plans.

I like the second question we are given this evening, this is something that effected all of us.

“How did the COVID season affect your planning for the future?”

In late 2019 I sat down and planned out 50 Sunday Morning Sermons, 50 Sunday Evening Studies a mix of videos and teaching, I did the same thing for Wednesday Nights. I had a list of activities for the year, I made a down payment on for Eby Pines for a teen activity in the spring the VBS stuff was already ordered and in boxes in the office. I had a dry erase calendar in my office covered in ink and each month I would erase things that would never come to be. I had a list of programs and ministries I wanted to give a try. But in 2020 everything changed, culture changed, people changed, priorities changed and it was not all bad. But it made us realize, tomorrow I will do this or that only if it God’s Will.

COVID affected everyone, some people lost loved ones, others lost jobs, some lost friends. In 2019 we all could have said, “next year I will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit” But it wouldn’t happen.

It is better to say...

James 4:15–17 NKJV

15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” 16 But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. 17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.

It is okay to plan, if we don’t plan things don’t happen, but when we plan seek God in the plan. Don’t just throw Him on as a tag line and say, “If the Lord wills” but seek His will and make the plan willing to see the plan change.

“What are some ways we can ensure that our plans are aligned to God’s Will?

We must subject our plans to God’s will. In the next verses, we see that we should also focus on the Lord’s return.

James 5:7–9 NKJV

7 Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. 8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. 9 Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door!

We move here from looking at our plan for the future to looking at God’s plan for the future.

I am encouraged that the first century church needed encouragement in this area as well. They had grown anxious and eager for Christ return they were becoming impatient. We to can wonder, “Lord when will you return?”

James says, “Be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord.”

Then he gives this great example of a farmer waiting, preparing the field in lat fall allowing the fall rains to permeate the soil, planting and waiting for the Spring rain nourish the plant and make it grow.

James 5:8–9 NKJV

8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. 9 Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door!

“Why is it important that we remain focused on the Lord’s Return?”

Even then as they anticipated Christ return James says, what your attitude and actions, the Judge is standing at the door, He can come at any time be ready.

James 5:10–11 NKJV

10 My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. 11 Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.

We could say James has brought us full circle. In James 1:1-4 we saw how life’s trials work patience in our lives. Now we see the example of the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord and suffered yet they persevered through it all until for many it was the blood end.

James cited Job here a man who lost everything yet persevered, Job was never given an explanation as to everything that happened to him here on earth. I am sure in eternity he now understands what happened and why but as he lived here on earth, he never saw why he went through the trails, but he trusted God and endured to the end. In the case of Job God restored what Job had lost but that is not the case for all.

However, no matter what lies ahead we must maintain our trust and our dependance on God knowing He knows the end from the beginning.

LIVE IT OUT

We don’t know what the future holds for us, but we can respond to challenges with God’s help. Choose one of the following...

Pray with Praise. Trust God knowing Christ’s return will bring full justice, freedom, and deliverance. Consider ways you can pray and praise God right now for how He is working in your life.

Pray over your plans. Trust God with all your scheduling, appointments, and plans. If those plans change, thank Him and pray to see how He is at work throughout your day.