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"You do not know what will happen tomorrow..."

Text: James 4:14

GREAT PLANS

There is nothing wrong in making plans for our life. However, there are times when we can end up with over-confidence and we forget to include the fact that we do not have full control of our life.

“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’;
whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow.
For what is your life? It is even a vapour
that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.”
James 4:13-14

1. A typical human plan is used as an illustration

a) Selecting a city

b) Planning the time-line

c) Determining the business (“buy and sell”)

d) Looking forward to the profit

2. Anyone can come up with this general plan

a) The plan is not wrong in itself.

b) It is not wrong to have a good business plan.

3. “Whereas”

a) James saw the flaw in the plan.

b) He raised pertinent questions.

4. “You do not know what will happen tomorrow”

a) The planner had not factored in this possibility.

b) There are uncertainties that must be given due consideration rather than ignore them.

5. “For what is your life”

a) We are not in full control of our life.

b) This is a sober and necessary reminder.

6. “It is even a vapour that appears for a little time and then vanishes away”

a) We are reminded of the book of Ecclesiastes.

b) A constant word used was “vanity” (which means “vapour”) [Ecclesiastes 2:11, 15].

c) James sent an important reminder to his readers.

d) Life is likened to vapour and it soon vanishes! How then should life be utilised?