Most of us are fascinated with the future, and we’re ready to
try about anything to find out about it: tarot, astrology, tea
leaves … the list goes on and on. I would like to suggest an
alternative: Instead of calling a psychic hot line, consult the One
who created time. He knows a lot more about the future than your
local palm reader.
Most of us are fascinated with the future, and we’re ready to try about anything to find out about it: tarot, astrology, tea leaves … the list goes on and on. I would like to suggest an alternative: Instead of calling a psychic hot line, consult the One who created time. He knows a lot more about the future than your local palm reader.
“You who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.’ How do you know what will happen tomorrow?” (James 4:13-14). We make a big mistake when we plan our future without seeking God’s guidance; even the best laid plans become worthless. Alexander Solzhenitsyn once said, “I’ve spent the last 50 years studying the history of the Russian Revolution; in the process I’ve collected hundreds of personal testimonies and read hundreds of books, contributed eight volumes of my own … but if I were asked today to formulate as concisely as possible the main cause of the ruinous revolution that swallowed up some 60 million Russians, I could not put it more accurately than to repeat the phrase, ‘men have forgotten God …’ What is more, if I were to identify the principle trait of the entire 20th century, I would be unable to find anything more precise than this statement: ‘men have forgotten God.'”
In these profound comments we find the same message recorded in James 4: When we leave God out of our plans, we ask for disaster. I know lots of people who claim that Jesus is their Lord, yet they rarely consult Him when making a decision. So what does that make him Lord of? Those few seconds of prayer before everyone digs into dinner? When we make our plans without consulting Him, we are violating the most basic aspect of the master-servant relationship: the servant does the master’s will, not his own.
To underscore his message, God gives a description of life that helps put things in perspective: “Your life is like the morning fog – it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, ‘If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.’ Otherwise you will be boasting about your own plans, and all such boasting is evil.” (James 4:14-16).
Proverbs 16:1 reminds us, “We may make our plans, but God has the last word.” Have you found that to be true? Perhaps we should stop praying “God bless what I’m doing,” and start praying, “God, let me do what you are blessing.”
For me, I find a lot of truth in the Peace Corps commercial from many years ago that said, “It doesn’t matter how long you live if you’re not doing anything with your life.” We usually focus on the duration of life (health concerns, security issues, etc.), but God wants us to be more concerned with the quality of life than with the quantity of life. I need to ask, “Am I making my life count? Or just throwing it away?” How would you answer that question today?
A simple plea: whatever good thing you’ve been thinking about doing, do it now. “I’ve been thinking about getting my relationship with God right …” Do it now! “I’ve been thinking about showing more love to my mate …” Do it now! “I’ve been thinking about being a better parent …” Do it now! “I’ve been thinking about … (you fill in the blank)” Do it now!
