Trust in the Lord, Not Yourself

II. The Danger of Arrogant, Self-Centered Planning James speaks to business people whose words show full confidence in their own control over the future—time, place, length of stay, and profit. The sin is not planning. The sin is planning as if God does not exist or does not rule. Jesus warned about this in the story of the rich man who planned for many years but died that very night (Luke 12:16–20).

• A. Presumptuous declarations of future plans

  James 4:13 (NASB 1995) Come now, you who say, “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.”

  The speaker claims control over four things: the time (“today or tomorrow”), the place (“such and such a city”), the length (“spend a year there”), and the result (“make a profit”). Each claim assumes a certainty that only God has. The words “we will” show self-rule instead of trust in God. Scripture teaches that people can plan, but God decides what really happens (Proverbs 16:9). Jesus showed how foolish it is to plan without God when He said, “This very night your soul is required of you” (Luke 12:20).

  Application: Listen to how you talk about your plans for next month, next year, or your children’s future. If your words leave God out, your heart probably is too. Teach your family to speak with humility, not with proud certainty (James 4:15). When you talk about jobs, moving, buying a home, or big decisions, learn to say and mean, “if the Lord wills.” Ignoring God in planning hardens the heart and invites correction. Living in submission builds real faith and teaches the next generation to trust the Lord, not themselves.

• B. Ignorance of life's brevity and uncertainty

  James 4:14 (NASB 1995) 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.

  James points out the problem: they do not even know what tomorrow will bring, yet they speak with confidence. Life is called a “vapor”—something you see for a moment and then it is gone. Job said the same thing: life passes quickly and does not return (Job 7:7). The Psalmist prayed that God would teach him how short his life is so he would gain wisdom (Psalm 39:4–5). The New Testament also reminds us that life is brief and uncertain (1 Peter 1:24).

  Proverbs 27:1 (NASB 1995) Do not boast about tomorrow, For you do not know what a day may bring forth.

  This proverb repeats the same warning. Tomorrow is not in our control, and it is not even in our knowledge. Boasting about it shows pride and forgetfulness of God.

  Application: Let the shortness of life shape your priorities. Do not delay obedience, love, or faithfulness for a “someday” that may never come (2 Corinthians 6:2). Use today to teach your children, love your spouse, serve the church, and share the gospel. Teach your family that every day is a gift, not a guarantee. Forgetting this leads to wasted years and regret. Remembering it leads to a life that counts for eternity.

  Truth: Planning without God comes from forgetting how short and uncertain life really is and from refusing to honor the One who holds tomorrow.

III. The Humble Alternative of Submission to God's Will James gives the right way to speak and think about the future. The words “if the Lord wills” change planning from pride into trust.

• A. The proper confession: "If the Lord wills"

  James 4:15 (NASB 1995) Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.”

  This puts both life (“we will live”) and actions (“do this or that”) under God’s control. The word “ought” shows this is not optional. It is a duty before God. This is not just a phrase to say. It is a way of thinking that admits God rules over our days and our plans. Paul spoke this way when he said, “I will return to you again, if God wills” (Acts 18:21), and “I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills” (1 Corinthians 4:19).

  Proverbs 16:9 (NASB 1995) The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.

  People can and should plan, but God decides what really happens. Planning is not wrong. Trusting plans more than God is wrong.

  Proverbs 19:21 (NASB 1995) Many plans are in a man’s heart, But the counsel of the LORD will stand.

  This shows that God’s purpose always wins in the end. That is why every plan must be held under His will.

  Application: Make “if the Lord wills” part of how you speak and think—at home, at work, and in prayer. When God changes your plans through closed doors, delays, or hardships, accept it without anger and trust that He is working for good (Romans 8:28). Teach your children this way of thinking so they grow up planning wisely but trusting God fully. Refusing to submit leads to pride and spiritual danger. Learning to submit protects the heart and helps a person stay faithful to Christ.

• B. The condemnation of all arrogant boasting

  James 4:16 (NASB 1995) But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil.

  James is clear and strong. He calls this kind of boasting “evil.” The problem is not confidence in God. The problem is pride that pushes God out. Scripture says God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5).

  Application: Remove proud, self-centered talk from your life. Replace it with thanks and praise to God. Show your children by example that success comes from the Lord, not from yourself (1 Corinthians 4:7). When good things happen—work success, family blessings, personal achievements—give God the credit. Pride pulls the heart away from God. Humility keeps the heart close to Him and protects real faith.

  Truth: True faith speaks about the future with humble trust in God’s will and rejects every kind of proud boasting that leaves Him out.

Conclusion Ecclesiastes declares every moment appointed by God; James condemns every plan that speaks as though those moments belong to man. The sovereign Lord sets the times and holds every life in His hand. Faith obeys by submitting every intention to His will with humble, dependent speech. Examine your heart and your words today. Repent of every arrogant “I will” and begin now to live and speak only as one who knows tomorrow rests with the Lord. Let this truth shape your daily decisions, your family conversations, and your eternal hope.

Invitation If you have lived with self-reliant arrogance, planning without reference to God’s will, you stand under the same condemnation James pronounces. The gospel calls you to hear this truth, believe that Jesus is the Christ who died for your sins and rose again, repent of self-rule, confess Him as Lord, and be baptized into Christ for the remission of sins so you may walk in newness of life. Continue faithfully, submitting daily to His sovereign will. If you need to obey the gospel or return to faithful submission, come now as we stand and sing.