If the God Wills
James 4:13-17
In James 4:1-12, we saw how pride can affect our relationships, our loyalty to God, and the way we speak about others. Now James brings our attention to another area where pride can quietly appear: the way we plan our future.
We may not openly boast about ourselves, but we can make plans as though everything depends on our own money, abilities, strength, and wisdom. Through these verses, James reminds us that our lives and our future are in God’s hands.
Plans Without God: Verse 13
James describes people who confidently say that they will go to a particular city, spend a year there, conduct business, and make a profit.
There is nothing inherently wrong with planning, working hard, or seeking to provide for our families. The problem is the attitude behind these plans. They speak as though the future is entirely under their control, without acknowledging their dependence on God.
We can do the same. We plan our careers, finances, family life, and ministry. We consider our resources, skills, and opportunities, but how often do we genuinely seek God’s will? We may include God in our words while making decisions based entirely on our own understanding.
Am I making my plans in dependence on God, or am I living as though everything depends on me?
Life Is a Mist: Verse 14
James reminds us that we do not know what tomorrow will bring. Our life is like a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.
We may have carefully planned our future, but we cannot guarantee what will happen even in the next moment. Our health, opportunities, circumstances, and very lives are not entirely in our hands.
Our money cannot guarantee tomorrow. Our knowledge cannot reveal everything that lies ahead. Our strength cannot control every circumstance.
This truth reminds us how dependent we are on God. Every breath we take and every day we receive are gifts from Him. Recognising this should not make us careless about the future; it should make us humble before the One who gives us life.
If I cannot guarantee even tomorrow, why do I sometimes live as though I am in complete control?
The Humility of Saying, “If the Lord Wills”: Verse 15
James shows us the right attitude: “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”
This is more than a phrase we add to our conversations. It is a posture of the heart. We acknowledge that our lives, opportunities, and future are under God’s authority.
We can make plans, work diligently, develop our abilities, and prepare responsibly. But we must hold our plans with open hands, willing to follow God even when His direction differs from our expectations.
Proverbs 16:9 reminds us that we may plan our way, but the Lord establishes our steps.
A humble person does not depend entirely on personal ability, wealth, or wisdom. He recognises that everything he has and everything he hopes to accomplish depends on God’s grace.
Can I sincerely say, “If the Lord wills,” even when His will differs from my own plans?
The Danger of Boasting: Verse 16
James calls such confidence arrogant boasting and declares that this kind of boasting is evil. The problem is not simply speaking about our plans; it is taking pride in ourselves as though we are the masters of our lives.
We can become proud of our achievements, education, financial security, position, talents, or ministry. We may forget that we did not create our own abilities or control every opportunity that helped us succeed.
Paul asks in 1 Corinthians 4:7, “What do you have that you did not receive?”
Everything we possess is ultimately a gift entrusted to us by God. We should use our abilities faithfully, but we have no reason to exalt ourselves above others.
Jesus reminds us in John 15:5 that apart from Him we can do nothing. Our response, therefore, should be gratitude and dependence, not self-glory.
What am I taking credit for that I should be thanking God for?
The Sin of Leaving Good Undone: Verse 17
James concludes with a principle that challenges us deeply: knowing the good we ought to do and failing to do it is also sin.
We often think of sin mainly as doing something wrong. James reminds us that sin also includes failing to do what is right when we know we should do it.
We may know that we should forgive someone, but continue holding resentment. We may recognise that someone needs encouragement, but remain silent. We may understand what God expects from us, yet postpone obedience because it is uncomfortable or inconvenient.
This principle also connects with the earlier verses of the chapter. If we know that God calls us to humility in our relationships, faithfulness in our devotion, and care in our speech, but continue living in pride, we are not merely failing to understand His Word. We are failing to act on what we know.
This is the sin of omission: not doing the good we know we ought to do.
James is not calling us to live under endless guilt over every possible good deed we could perform. He is reminding us to respond faithfully to the good we genuinely know we should do.
What good do I already know I should do, but continue to leave undone?
Humility in Every Area of Life
Looking back at James 4, we can see how one underlying problem – pride – can appear in different ways.
In our relationships, it can produce jealousy, arguments, and conflict (verses 1-3). In our relationship with God, it can lead to divided loyalty and a desire for the things of the world (verses 4-10). In our speech, it can make us judge and speak against others (verses 11-12). In our plans, it can cause us to boast about tomorrow as though we control it (verses 13-16). And when we refuse to do the good we know we should do, our pride may be keeping us from obedience (verse 17).
“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
– James 4:6, ESV
We have nothing to boast about apart from God. We cannot sustain our lives, control every circumstance, or accomplish anything independently of His sustaining grace. This does not mean that we should stop planning or using our abilities. It means that everything we do should be marked by gratitude, humility, and dependence on Him.
Christ is our supreme example. Jesus said, “I am gentle and lowly in heart” (Matthew 11:29). Philippians 2:5-8 shows us His humility as He took the form of a servant and became obedient to the point of death on a cross.
If our Lord humbled Himself, how can we live as though everything depends on us?
True humility is not refusing to make plans. It is making plans while submitting to God’s will. It is not hiding our abilities. It is using them faithfully for His glory. It is not merely saying that God is in control, but living each day in dependence on Him.
As we meditate on these verses, let us not focus on the people who boast about their plans. Let us allow God’s Word to examine our own hearts.
We do not know what tomorrow holds, but we can entrust tomorrow to the One who holds our lives.
May our plans, relationships, words, and actions reflect a humble heart that depends on God and seeks to do His will.
Heavenly Father, forgive me for the times I have depended on my own wisdom, strength, and resources while forgetting that my life is in Your hands. Teach me to recognise that every day, every ability, and every opportunity is a gift from You. Help me make plans responsibly while submitting them to Your will. Remove the pride that makes me boast in my achievements, and show me the good I know I should do but have neglected. Teach me the humility of Jesus Christ, so that my words, decisions, and actions may bring glory to Your name. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Hineni