May We Not Boast in Our Arrogance
May We Live for Our Today
“But as it is, you boast in your arrogance;
(The Letter of James 4: 16 NASB)
all such boasting is evil.”
When I was a child, oftentimes, I would ask my mom to make plans for our family. For example, I may have asked her to take us from our small town to grandma’s larger town for the day. We lived in northern Indiana on a large farm, and it was impossible for us to see our next-door neighbors. Thus, most days, we lived as a group of six: dad, mom, and four children (at that time my little brother had not been born).
At that time of life, I was a preteen of ten and not a believer, so whenever my mother would quote Scripture, I was ignorant, unlearned, and almost rude in my reaction. The verse mom quoted (that I did not understand) was found in the New Testament book of James. I would ask mom to make plans for something, and she would say:
“If the Lord wills,” We will.
Now, at the mention of the Lord willing or not willing us, I would become insolent and walk away, thinking: “Mom, why don’t you just make a decision and say we will do this or that?”
- I was ignorant.
- I was unlearned.
- I was rude.
- I was lost. & I was not God’s child.
I did not understand Scripture—at all.
The entire understanding of the verse needs to be taken in context. Notice what the disciple James wrote in regard to the One who controls our days here on earth.
“Come now, you who say,
(The Letter of James 4: 13-16 NASB)
“Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city,
and spend a year there
and engage in business
and make a profit.”
Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow.
You are just a vapor
that appears for a little while
and then vanishes away.
Instead, you ought to say,
“If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.”
But as it is, you boast in your arrogance;
all such boasting is evil.”
What if God orchestrated a divine appointment for us to live-out today?
How would we know?
What if God ordained an opportunity for us to be a part of His tremendous work of salvation today?
Would we be prepared?
What if God led us to be courageous with our testimony and witness to another today?
Would we be obedient?
- When I was fifteen, God made me complete-in-Him.
But that does not mean I stopped sinning.
- When I became a Christian, God placed His Holy Spirit inside me.
But that does not mean I always remember WHO fills me.
- When God redeemed me, He made me His child.
But that does not mean my spiritual walk has always been easy, for the LORD tests me to prove me.
What does all of this mean?
- We must not ever become careless in our spiritual walk with the LORD.
But we can become careless in our spiritual walk, if we are not careful with the GIFT we have been given.
- We should not ever become lax in our prayer life, in our daily conversation with the Lord.
But we can become lax in our prayer life, if we are not mindful of the Person of Jesus advocating for us to the Father.
- We most definitely should not ever become whimsical with our fasting, with our leaving what the Lord tells us to leave for Him.
But we can become whimsical with our leaving & we can doubt God’s Goodness.
May We Not Boast in Our Arrogance.
&
May We Always Remain Intentional in our Spiritual Walk.
&
May We Not Ever Doubt.
- God’s Power.
- God’s Ability.
- God’s Wisdom.
- God’s Provision.
On the cusp of this New Year, may we become more serious about our walk with God & more focused in our study of the Bible & more faithful in sharing our testimony & more servant-hearted as the Holy Spirit leads.
Mom was right. We must live for today, and “If the Lord wills, . . .” then we will do the plans we have for tomorrow.
- Let us not boast to know our tomorrow, because we are not promised tomorrow, only TODAY.
- Let us live & walk in our TODAY—Just as the Lord wills!
The disciple of Jesus ended the discourse with these words:
“Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it,
(The Letter of James 4: 17 NASB)
to him it is sin.”