Pernicious Pride
Pernicious Pride
Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will travel to such and such a city and spend a year there and do business and make a profit.” You don’t even know what tomorrow will bring—what your life will be! (James 4:13–14)
Presumed Innocent
We humans are a planning species, endlessly making goals (for the day, the weekends, our vacations, and careers), always devising schemes to make us happy. This isn’t surprising, really. God certainly makes plans, and we are made in His image. Our ability to plan is something He gave us. In our Scripture today James isn’t speaking against us making plans but against the presumption that so often accompanies our plan making.
Many of us are probably surprised at the charge of presumption. After all, making plans is just a part of going about our business. But because of sin’s influence, “business as usual” tends to be self-referential where we leave God out of the process if not by deliberation, then by default.
Reality Check
Surely this is crazy. As James says, “You don’t even know what tomorrow will bring—what your life will be!” We need to recognize this subtle form of pride and take steps to resist the natural, godless way we go about much of our lives. Living out the details of life without reference to God is nothing short of arrogance and presumption. Let’s put God back into the center of our daily planning and problem solving. In so doing, we’ll have a much surer footing and the peace of knowing we aren’t running the race in vain.
Bottom Line
Start by asking God to birth His plans in you, and then remember to submit all your thoughts, hopes, cares, and dreams to Him.