““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 …ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.”
James 4: 13-15 [KJV]
“What do you think about this caravan?” I asked my sister, turning the laptop screen so she could see the for-sale advertisement. “It’s made in 1982.”
My sister looked confused. “Why are you looking at caravan ads?”
“Don’t you know house prices are at record highs? If I need to find my own place one day, I’ve figured my best option is buying a second-hand caravan,” I glanced at the ad again, “with peeling paint and a damaged tow bar.”
My sister burst out laughing. “Not worth it. You don’t need a place to live right now.”
“What if one day I do?”
What if? How often we ask that question! Some of us do it more than others, but all women tend to worry about the future. Maybe it’s because women typically have less financial security than men, and our lives are arguably more readily upended by life events such as marriage or having a baby. Single people worry about future financial and emotional needs. Married people worry about what might happen if they or their spouse is injured or dies. Mothers worry about how their children will cope in a sinful world. Others worry about career progression, or health issues associated with growing older. Whether we are concerned about the events of next week or next decade, this worry affects how we perceive our possible futures–and how we plan for them.
On the one hand, we have people who tell us, “God is in control, don’t overthink the future.” Initially, this statement seems sound. After all, Isaiah 14:24 says, “The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand”. But some people have a ‘whatever will be, will be’ attitude, that emphasises God’s sovereignty to such an extent it births the question: am I supposed to just go with whatever happens, and never set any long-term goals? Why work hard or save money if God will supply my needs regardless? Why invest spiritually in others if I cannot influence the future?
Conversely, we have those who say, “You need to think about where you want to go, and have a Plan A, Plan B and Plan C to account for all possibilities.” In the business world they call this ‘future-proofing’; “the process of anticipating the future and developing methods to minimise the effects …of future events” (Cambridge Dictionary, 2024). On a personal level, attempts to ‘future-proof’ might involve saving ‘for a rainy day’, getting a formal qualification to make it easier to move jobs in the future, or checking the weather forecast before leaving the house. Sounds logical, right? But how can a planner account for every possible future circumstance, or emotional, mental or spiritual need? Yet in the planner’s self-absorption, there is no room for seeking, let alone following, God’s will. It’s my plan, they say, and I’m going to see it through.
If we accept that there are potential problems with either over-planning or not planning, where do we find the right balance? How do I know if I’m planning too much? Or too little? Some advice on this is found in James 4:13-15, which reads, “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: 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. For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.” Here are a few thoughts–not an exhaustive study–on how Christians should approach planning.
Firstly, recognise God’s supremacy over your whole life, including your plans. In chapter 4, the Apostle James repeatedly instructs us to follow God’s ways, not the world’s. We are to submit to God (v7), draw nigh to God (v8) and humble ourselves in the sight of God (v10). Non-Christians and worldly Christians make plans without considering God’s authority. But a Christian recognises that God has both the ability and right to determine our life’s trajectory. The Lord Jesus Christ himself surrendered to God the Father’s will, praying in the garden of Gethsemane, “nevertheless not My will, but Thine, be done” (Luke 22:42b). We should likewise submit to God’s plans, “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's” (1 Corinthians 6:20).
Recognise any plans we make are inherently flawed. Sin-affected hearts are guaranteed to make sin-affected plans that will not always align with God’s will. The plan described in James 4 is a simple business strategy. The people seem to have done their market research, and there is no suggestion that the proposed conduct was unethical. The main issue here was that they had not considered whether the plan was part of God’s will for their lives. How do you think they would have responded if God told them a direct no? How do we respond when God shows us clearly that our dream is not His will? Do we rebel and cling to our plan, or do we accept His teaching, trusting that, “No good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly” (Psalm 84:11). Do we have the attitude of the prophet Jeremiah, who prayed, “It is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. O LORD, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing” (Jeremiah 10:23b-24). Will we commit to staying on the path God wants for us, even–especially–when it means letting go of all our beautiful dreams?
Have an eternal perspective. James reminds us that our life is “even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away” (James 4:14b). Life on earth is short, and so many of the plans we make involve temporal things (2 Corinthians 4:18), such as finances, relationships and physical needs. Consider the spiritual implications of our plans. For example, that job might seem great from a career progression perspective, but will it clash with church attendance? Or those plans you have for your child’s future; could you be coercing them into something that might seem good, but isn’t God’s best?
Do God’s will right now. We are not promised we will have tomorrow to do what God told us to do today. And God reveals His plans for our futures when we do His will for our lives now. This is shown in the example of Abraham’s servant, who was commissioned to find a bride for Issac. He started out in the suggested direction, but continued to pray for God’s guidance (Genesis 24:12-14), and testified, “I being in the way, the LORD led me” (Genesis 24:27b). Proverbs 16:9 says it well, “A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps”. How do I ensure my heart aligns with the Lord’s direction? By seeking His will through the four signposts of the scriptures (Psalm 119:105), prayer (Psalm 143:1,10), counsel (Proverbs 11:14) and circumstances (Psalm 32:8).
Right plans come from having the right perspective. As a flawed human, I can’t make flawless plans, but I have a God who knows and sees all things, and who works all things together for good (Romans 8:28). By faith, we can confidently hold all our plans open to His scrutiny and say, “If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that” (James 4:15b).
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