Tomorrow is Not Yours

Introduction

James has just instructed us to “draw nigh to God.” The word nigh carries the idea of coming so close that nothing can fit between you and God. This is why the specific wording of our Bible is so important—because it conveys a precise meaning. The word near does not fully reflect what God is saying in this passage. You can be near something and still have many things between you and that object. But to be nigh means that nothing comes between you and the object.

In the same way, God should be first in everything we do; nothing should come between us and Him. James then connects this truth to how we make our plans in life. Too often, people plan their lives, their business, their goals, without ever considering God’s will. But if we are truly drawing nigh to the Lord—so close that nothing comes between us and Him—then our plans will always be shaped by a desire to honor Christ.

It is in this vein of thought that James gives us the instruction in the closing verses of chapter 4. Here we are reminded that all of life—our time, our future, our decisions—must be submitted to God’s will.

With that in mind, James warns us about the danger of making plans apart from God. When we live as if tomorrow is ours to control, we reveal the presumption of self-sufficient living—and that’s where James begins in verse 13.

Life Plans Should Include Our Submission

James 4:13 “Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:”

James spends much of his letter rebuking the wealthy believers scattered abroad. There was a real problem with Christians seeking wealth rather than seeking the will of God. In Palestine, one of the most profitable professions was that of a traveling merchant. It was a tough business, but if you made the right connections, had the right products, and put together the right business plan, you could live a very comfortable and wealthy life.

James is likely writing to Christians who had made their living in this exact way. He may have been using this as an illustration, but given his repeated references to the wealthy, he was probably describing real situations. These merchants were making plans—where they would travel, what they would buy and sell, and what profit they would gain—all without considering how God had called them to live in submission to His will. James is telling them to stop making plans without submission to God’s authority.

We find in Scripture examples of wealthy Christians who did submit their plans to God:

Barnabas sold his land and gave the proceeds entirely to the church to support struggling believers.

Lydia, a merchant of purple cloth, used her influence to bring people to Christ and opened her home for the church to meet.

Aquila and Priscilla shaped their business decisions around Paul’s missionary journeys so they could assist in the ministry.

These believers submitted their plans to God, and He used their wealth and influence for the spread of the gospel.

Application: Our life plans should first consider God and how we can serve Him for the sake of the gospel. Every plan we make should be surrendered to His will.

If our life plans must be made in submission to God, then we also need to remember just how short life really is. James moves from the danger of presumption to the reality of our mortality.

Life Plans Should Consider Our Mortality

James 4:14 “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.”

When we make plans for our lives, we must do so with the sobering awareness that our time here is short. James reminds us that “ye know not what shall be on the morrow.” Tomorrow is not guaranteed. Our lives are uncertain.

He then asks a piercing question: “For what is your life?” His answer is clear—“It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.” Like the morning mist that rises and quickly disappears, our lives are brief and fragile.

Those who have lived many years will tell you how quickly life passes. Parents say, “You blink, and the children are grown.” This is the reality James sets before us: our time is like a vapor—it comes and it goes in a hurry.

So the real question is—what will we do with our vapor?

Will we spend it repeating the same cycle as the world—working, paying bills, chasing promotions, buying more things—only to spend the wealth we accumulated at the end of life on doctors, nursing homes, assisted living, or in-home care, while our bodies grow weak and eventually return to the dust? In the end, all the possessions we worked for will be left to others.

Or will we use our fleeting days for the glory of Christ—winning souls, discipling believers, and training workers for the gospel?

You don’t have to be a pastor or a missionary to live with eternity in view. In generations past, Sunday Schools were built and led by faithful laymen—men and women who worked hard to provide for their families but then gave their time and energy to invest in people for Christ’s sake.

Closing Punch Line for Point 2: In the end, every one of us will trade our wealth for time, our possessions for care, and our independence for help as our bodies wear down. That is the destiny of life under the sun. But the believer who considers his mortality will choose to spend his vapor for Christ—because only what is done in submission to God’s will shall last for eternity.

Transition to Point 3: That’s why James does not leave us with a question mark about life’s brevity—he points us directly to the answer: life must be lived in humble submission to the will of God.

Life Plans Should Reflect God’s Will

James 4:15 “For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.”

Main Thought: James wants Christians to make decisions based upon God’s will. Anything short of pursuing the spread of the gospel in this life is ultimately a waste. God did not save us so that we could merely become successful or wealthy. And if we do gain wealth, what will we do with it? Here’s the truth: if you do not include God in your plans before you gain wealth, you will not consider His will after you gain it.

Illustration – The Wealthy Farmer (Luke 12:16–21) “And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

The rich farmer never considered God’s will in his plans. His focus was entirely on himself—how to store more, enjoy more, and secure his own comfort. He never thought about using his wealth to serve God or advance His kingdom.

Application: Where is your life going? What are you doing with it? Are your days fleeting away without any eternal impact? Too many Christians live for themselves—their comfort, pleasure, and personal gain—while neglecting the work of God.

You cannot assume that you can gain wealth or build comfort first and then decide to serve God. It did not work for the rich farmer, and it will not work for you. True life plans must begin with God, seek His will above all, and aim to be rich toward God in every decision.

Life Plans Should be Made in Humility

James 4:16 “But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.”

Transition from Point 3: If our plans are to truly honor God, they cannot be motivated by pride or personal gain. James now confronts the danger of boasting in our own schemes.

Main Thought: James 4:16 – “But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.”

The same businessmen James addressed were bragging about their plans—the wealth they would gain, the comfort they would secure, the success they would enjoy. James declares their boasting evil.

When we make plans without considering God’s will, and we pridefully rejoice in what we think we will achieve, we commit evil in the sight of God.

Application: We must humble ourselves before God and make life plans that align with His will. Prideful living must be set aside, and our focus must be on the things of God and the advancement of the gospel.

Will we humble ourselves and submit our plans to God? Will we live in the joy of spreading the gospel, serving others, and advancing the Word of God in our church, our community, and around the world? True fulfillment comes not from wealth or comfort, but from submitting our lives fully to the Lord.

Conclusion

James 4:17 “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”

Now you know how God instructs us to plan our lives. To neglect these biblical truths—living without considering, yielding to, and submitting to God’s will—is sin. This principle applies beyond life planning: whenever we know what is right and choose to do otherwise, it is sin.

So what will you do with your life? Time is short, and we have little of it to accomplish God’s will. Don’t waste your days pursuing your own plans. It is time for Christians to stop living for personal pleasure, comfort, and gain, and to start planning life according to God’s purposes.

There is a desperate need for laborers in the harvest field, yet so often we are consumed with our own goals, our finances, and our personal ambitions, neglecting the work God could accomplish through us. Let us humble ourselves, submit our plans, and devote our lives to doing the good that God calls us to do.