The Will of God

The Will of God

James 4:13-17

In this section of Scripture James deals with the will of God. He seems to be addressing businessmen in the church that were living their lives with no concern for the will of God. He rebukes them for making plans without consulting God first. He reminds them that life is unpredictable. He reveals to them the proper way to live in verse 15. Finally, he rebukes them again in verses 16-17 for knowing what is right, but refusing to do it. There really is a lot here for us to learn from. If you know Christ, there is no doubt in my mind that you want to know and do the will of God. That’s a result of the new birth. God gives us a heart for HIs will. Psalm 40:8 says “I delight to do Thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart”. Jesus is our ultimate example and He said in John 5:30 “I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me”. I don’t think James is talking about the will of God only as it relates to the written commands in Scripture. I think he is talking about the will of God as it relates to the decisions that we make that determine the direction of our lives. We all know that it is God’s will that we be saved and that we grow in grace. That’s clearly outlined for us in Scripture. However, God’s will also relates to the decisions we face every day. So let’s see what James has to say about the believer and the will of God.

He rebukes people for making plans without consulting God. Look at verse 13. He describes the lives of these businessmen. They sound a lot like us. They do five things that aren’t sinful in themselves. They simply reveal that they were not consulting God.

They chose when they would do something. They said “Today or tomorrow...” They had their plans written on their calendar. They knew exactly when they would do what they wanted to do. They hadn’t thought that perhaps God had different plans for them on that day. We are a planning people. Now there’s nothing wrong with planning, but when we make our plans without consulting God we are going to run into some problems. If you are like me, you like to be on a schedule. You like to know when you are going to be where you need to be. We have to be careful. We have to be careful that our schedule is not so tight that we can’t fit God into it.

God is not in the habit of sending out His plans ahead of time. I mean, that would be nice if He would. You know, if He said “On the second Tuesday of November I’m going to have something for you to do, so keep your calendar clear” that would be nice. But He doesn’t do that. Do you know why He doesn’t do that? Because He knows that He is worth us dropping everything for. There are going to be times in our lives when the will of God conflicts with our will. Our plans are sometime ruined by the plan of God. Isn’t it silly for me to think that God doesn’t know about my plans? He knows about my plans, but He knows that His plans are more important than mine! So He doesn’t have a problem ruining my neatly organized day. Did you know that church is one of the most difficult places to plan something? You know, we want to have a revival so we start planning. We try to pick a time and somebody says “Well I can’t be there on that day”. We choose another day and somebody says the same thing. The same thing happens when we plan ministries or visitation. Everybody has such a tight schedule that it’s hard to plan anything in the church. Folks, we have to be careful. I think one of the hardest things to give to the Lord is our daily planner. We’re afraid of what God might do with it. Friends, we can trust the heart of God. If we will give Him our time we will have all of the joy and rest and money and fun that we need.

They chose where they would do something. The text says “into such a city”. Not only did they know when they would do something, they also knew where they would do it. It’s human nature to want to be where we are most comfortable. Remember Jonah? He didn’t have a problem with the city of Tarshish, but he sure had a problem with Nineveh. God chose where he was to go and he wasn’t too happy about it. There’s an old hymn that says “Wherever He leads I’ll go…” That’s a beautiful song, but I have to admit that I’m not always excited about where God wants me to go. I want to go where I fit in, where I’m happy, where I’m comfortable. Too often God wants to take me places that I’m not used to going. Places that I’m not so comfortable in.

It amazes me that so many pastors find God leading them to bigger churches to minister while smaller churches suffer. Church members leave small churches to go to big ones where there are plenty of workers already. If the choice of where we serve God is ours, we choose what pleases the flesh. We choose what benefits us most. Instead of allowing God to lead, we just expect God to follow us. We say “Now God this is where I’m going. You come along with me and bless me”.

They chose how long they would do something. James says these folks decided to stay a year. We don’t know why they chose a year. It was just what they wanted to do. The point is that they went to a city with the intention of leaving. That proves that they really weren’t committed. It takes time and commitment if we want to do something for the Lord. Our culture is afraid of commitment. We want the freedom to bail out whenever we feel like it. We bail out on our job. We bail out on our marriage. We quit school. We move from place to place. We do this because it’s what we want. We think “I need a fresh start”. What we fail to realize is that blessings come with longevity. The greatest marriage isn’t the one that’s lasted a year. It’s the one that’s lasted 50. The greatest job isn’t the one you just got. It’s the one that promoted you after ten years of faithful labor.

God’s called us to lifetime of faithful service. He doesn’t say “Just try living for Me for a year or two”. He tells us to turn our back on the world and follow Him all the days of our lives. It isn’t easy. There are times you won’t enjoy His will. But know that at the end of the day you will know that God has a far greater plan for your life than you do.

They chose what they would do. They would “buy and sell”. They were businessmen, that’s what they knew. That’s what they did. They assumed since they were business men God’s will for them was to buy and sell. Think about all the people that have had God change their career. Peter was a fisherman; he became a fisher of men. Matthew was a tax collector. He became a minister of the gospel. Luke was a physician. He became a missionary and a writer. Amos was a farmer. He became a prophet. David was a shepherd, he became a king. If those people had just kept on doing what they knew, they would have never been used by God as they were. It’s a very normal thing for God to call men and women away from what they know and to His work. We shouldn’t assume that God’s will is going to lead us into doing what we have always done.

We ask our kids all the time “What do you want to be when you grow up?” You know, we need to be teaching them to seek God for His will concerning their future. Their question should be “What does God want me to be when I grow up?” What God has for us is far more important than what skills or aspirations we have.

They chose why they did what they did. These businessmen did things their own way for one reason, “to get gain”. They wanted to make money. Their motive was personal gain. If they followed God’s will, the bank account might not be as full. Sometimes God doesn’t seem to pay as much as the world does. That’s because we measure wealth in monetary units rather than in heavenly treasures. It’s hard if you have to take a pay cut to serve the Lord. Do you know what really blesses me? I see these folks that have gone to school to be doctors and nurses. Then they spend their life being a medical missionary for the Lord Jesus. They could make lots of money and live a comfortable lifestyle in the states. Instead they choose to use their knowledge to make the lives of others more comfortable and to share the gospel of Christ. That’s sacrifice. Too often we make decisions based on finances. We should make decisions based on the amount of treasure we will be storing in heaven, not the amount we are storing on earth.

Next, James reminds them that life is unpredictable. James tells us two things in verse 14. He tells us that tomorrow could be altogether different than we think and that our life is short. Let’s start with we don’t know what tomorrow holds. We can make all the plans in the world, only to see them crumble before our eyes. Life changes quickly. A telephone call, a letter in the mail, a knock on the door and our lives can be turned upside down. We lose our jobs, a family member passes away, we are diagnosed with some disease, and then life is completely different.

We are such delicate people that one small thing can disrupt our lives. Things that we have no control over. We have no control over the car in the other lane. We have no control over the cells in our bodies. We have no control over the evil in a maniac’s heart. We have no control over our children when they leave the house. One small thing that we have no control over can completely alter our lives. You can have the vacation planned, the hotel paid for, the car packed, the week off of work, and then the car won’t start. We have no control over our children when they leave the house. One small thing that we have no control over can completely alter our lives. You can have the vacation planned, the hotel paid for, the car packed, the week off of work, and then the car won’t start. You can have the loan approved, the blue prints for the house drawn up, the land secured and then you lose your job. You can have your 25 years of work in, your retirement planned and then get the tests back confirming you have cancer. I’m not saying that to get you to worry. I’m simply trying to show you that our plans can easily be disrupted. My life and your life could be completely different tomorrow than it is today.

Not only could our lives be changed tomorrow, but James says they could be over tomorrow. He says our life is like a vapor. It’s like a puff of smoke. You see it for a moment and then it disappears into the air. We all know we are going to die. But not many of us plan on it. We think that we’ve got plenty of time. We think we’ll die at the ripe old age of something. But it won’t be anytime soon. That’s why so many people are busy doing their own will. They figure when they get ready to die, they’ll get things right with God and then give Him their nursing home years. Moses said if we are blessed we live to be eighty (Psalm 90:10). Job said life was as swift as an eagle catching its prey (Job 9:26). In several places the Bible says life is like a bloomed flower that quickly fades away. Whether you live to be a hundred or eighty or 20, life is short.

Read the obituaries and you’ll see senior citizens, middle aged adults, teenagers and infants all pass away. Death is no respecter of persons.

I remember there was a saying when I was young “Life is short, party hard”. That’s the world’s philosophy. Eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die! Folks, this isn’t the best there is. There is another life. There is a place called heaven. You don’t have to try and find happiness in this world. You don’t have to forsake God’s will to find happiness. When we choose to pursue our own will we are living as if happiness is found here and not in heaven. Folks, believers will die, but when we do we won’t be dead. We will be more alive at that moment than we have ever been. Life is short and we should live it according to the will of God. Because our life on this earth determines the amount of joy we will experience in the next world.

Next, James tells them the proper way to live. It’s in verse 15. We should live our lives according to the will of God. Christians should condition their decisions on the will of God. Instead of bringing our plans to God and asking Him to bless them, we should ask God if He approves of them. I have a nine year old and a six year old. I couldn’t imagine what I’d do if they came to me and said “Dad, this is what we are going to do today, whether you like it or not, this is what we’re going to do”. There would be some major adjustments made in our house. There are no adults in the kingdom of heaven. We are all God’s children. He is our Father. We are in submission to His will. We don’t bring our plans to God and just tell Him what we are going to do. We ask Him what to do.

You know, I think we are a little afraid of that. I mean, what if He wants us to do something we don’t know how to do? What if He wants us to do something that will cost us money or time or friends? Or worse, what if He wants us to do something we just don’t want to do? And He very well may. God might call us to do something that we would never do our selves. But we have to trust His heart. He is a good and loving Father. He will not do anything that would cause us harm. He may lead us away from our own desires. He may lead us away from comfort. He may lead us away from our own plans. But He will never lead us away from Himself. One of the hardest things you and I will ever do is submit our will to the will of God. It is a daily thing. It is a difficult thing. Let me give you some things thoughts that may help.

* Consider yourself crucified with Christ. That’s what Paul did. One of my favorite verses is Galatians 2:20. Paul said He was dead and now Christ was living through him. Death is used many times in the Scripture to refer to our salvation. The reason is that there is finality about death. Once you’re dead, you’re done. You can’t be undead. It’s the same way with coming to Christ. There is to be finality about it. We give up our old life for a new one. When it gets difficult to follow the will of God, just remember that when you came to Christ you gave up your rights you. You died to self. You said to God “Here’s my body. You live through it. Take it; do as You please with it.”

* Convince yourself that God’s will leads to greater pleasure than your own will. That’s not always easy to do. Satan would have us think that God isn’t interested in our pleasure. That’s what he did with Eve in the garden. He pointed her away from the will of God by convincing her that God was keeping pleasure from her. We have to remind ourselves that God wants us to be pleased. He wants us to enjoy Him. The Psalmist said “He maketh me to lie down in green pastures, He leadeth me beside the still waters” he went on to say “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever”. God offers us pleasure. The pleasure He offers isn’t followed by hangovers, regrets, or shame. We need to convince ourselves that the will of God will bring us pleasure. It will bring us the satisfaction of knowing that we are pleasing the Lord Jesus.

* Trust in the goodness of God. The will of God doesn’t always look so good. It can look dark. It can appear painful. It can lead to a divided family like it did with Joseph. It can lead to a broken heart like it did with Jeremiah. It can lead to swallowing our pride and arrogance like it did with Jonah. And it can lead to a cross like it did with Jesus. But in the midst of all of that we have to trust that God is still good. We have to know that before His will leads us away from our own desires. We have to be convinced that He’s a good God. We have to see Joseph in the pit and know God is good so that when we get in the pit we’ll know God is good. We have to see Jeremiah hated by his own people and know that God is good. So that when we are hated, we will know God is good. We have to see Jonah called to a people that killed and oppressed the Jewish nation, and know that God is good. So that, when God calls us to minister to our enemies, we’ll know God is good. We have to see Christ on the cross and know that God is good. So that when we are called to bear our cross, we’ll know God is good. Wherever God leads, know that God is good. He has a purpose. And likely that purpose will benefit others more than it benefits ourselves.

Finally, James rebukes them for knowing what is right, but not doing it. We see that in verses 16-17. James says these businessmen were “rejoicing in their boastings”. These guys were making plans and making money. They were proud of it. They would tell you how much money they made and how their life was going great as a result. James says their boasting was evil. It was evil because they were bragging about their life without God. In essence they were saying, “I’ve led my life the way I want to and I have a lot of money because of it”. These men should not have been happy about their lives. Despite the fact that they had money and had made a name for themselves, they should have been full of sorrow. They should have been under conviction. Instead they were bragging about how following their own will had benefited them.

Look at verse 17. That’s an interesting verse. It teaches us that sin isn’t always something we do. Sometimes it’s something we fail to do. In context, these men had failed to factor God into their life plan and that was their sin. We are believers. We know that God wants us to live according to His will. He wants to be first in our lives. Therefore it’s our responsibility to seek His will and do it. If we don’t, James says that’s sin. The question I need to ask myself is “Where is God in my life?” Is He there for the day I die? Is He my fire insurance policy? Or is He the One I trust and the One I look to for guidance? I want to end with some principles for us that will help us determine and follow God’s will.

Listen to God. Expect Him to lead you in this life. Expect to hear from Him every day. We have a lot of ideas and direction coming to us. It’s important that before we listen to anyone else we listen to God. Come to church, read the Bible, listen to sermons on the radio. God speaks through His word. Pray regularly. God speaks during our prayer time. Listen to seasoned saints. Talk to them about the will of God. God speaks through His people. Watch the circumstances around you. God speaks through the events that occur in our day. Listen to God. He will show you His will. I believe God speaks to us daily, but I don’t think we’re listening every day.

Be honest with yourself. We all have opinions. When we aren’t sure if something is God’s will or not, we still have an opinion about it. We would either rather do it or rather not do it. It’s important that we are willing to be honest with God. There’s nothing wrong with saying “Now God you see me heart. You know I don’t want to do this. I don’t know if this is Your will or mine. Lord I need You to help me.” The hardest thing about discerning the will of God is determining if our desires are from self or the Lord. Our emotions can often feel spiritual. Our desires can be deceptive. That’s why it’s important to be honest with ourselves. We know that we want the easy way. We want the way with more money. We want the path of least resistance. And that may be God’s will, but then again, it may not. We need to hear from God. We need to seek His face and ask Him to show us. Romans 12:1-2 says that we can know the perfect will of God when we offer ourselves up as a living sacrifice.

Be willing to sacrifice. Doing the will of God may involve a sacrifice. It may mean that we have to lose something. It’s important that our grip on earthly things be a very lose one. If we aren’t willing to sacrifice, we could miss the will of God. It’s our natural desire to want to keep what we have and add to it. However, sometimes we have to let go of what we have to grab hold of what God is offering. Sacrifice isn’t natural. But sacrifice is often necessary if we want to be in the middle of God’s will.

Be willing to wait. Our culture is focused on instant satisfaction. We have fast food, microwaves, and instant credit. God isn’t like that. Abraham had to wait 25 years for his son Isaac. Throughout that time we see the results of his impatience. He got outside of the will of God and the Jews and Arabs are still fighting today as a result of it. Many, many times we will have to wait on the will of God. Don’t make a major decision in your life without hearing from God. If He seems to be silent, just wait. While you’re waiting there are things you should do. You should live for Him, you should pray, you should witness, you should serve in the local church. But for your own sake, don’t make a major decision until God speaks to you. Don’t give God an ultimatum either. He doesn’t like that. Don’t say “God if You don’t say something by this date I’m gonna do this.” That’s not going to move the hand of God. Just wait on God. He will speak to you in His time. In fact, God does more in the waiting time than we could imagine. He is shaping us. He is creating character within us. He is testing us. He’s getting us ready for our next assignment. If we are not willing to wait we are going to miss that.

So where am I? Have I been planning my life apart from the Lord and simply asking Him to bless it? Or am I seeking His will daily. Am I afraid to hear God’s will because it may conflict with mine? Or am I willing to hand God my daily planner and say “Here Lord, You fill in the blanks.” That takes a lot of faith. But that’s the type of life the Lord rewards. That’s the type of life we are called to live.