JAMES WEEK Nine

PUTTING FAITH INTO PRACTICE: Who is in control?

My family got up that day just like we got up every day. My husband went to his job. I went to mine. My older son headed off to college after we had both left. My two home schooled teenage sons slept in, and when they got up, they did the schoolwork I had put out for them.

It was a day like any other day, and we assumed—as most people do—that the next would be the same.

It wasn’t.

That evening, our 20-year-old son was killed when his car hit a tree on a sharp curve a couple of miles from our house.

“How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone.” James 4:14

Everyday we make plans. We take for granted the lives that we have been given, the very breaths we take. But in this passage, James reminds us that only God knows our future. Pretending otherwise is not only unwise, it’s actually sinful.

In certain times in religious history (and perhaps even among certain cultures or denominations today), the church took James’s words so seriously that they concluded their remarks with statements such as “Lord willing.” I personally don’t think that James is being legalistic about the inclusion of certain words in our everyday conversation. No, I think James is referring more to our hearts and attitudes regarding our lives.

Our God is orderly (1 Corinthians 14:33). He is not a God of chaos. Therefore, planning in and of itself is not sinful. However, what is sinful is the arrogance that comes from assuming that we are in control of our days.

Do we pray for God’s guidance in our lives, or do we guide ourselves and pray for His blessing?

James reminds us that we need to remember Who is in control, and in doing so, we need to acknowledge His leadership in our lives. Basically, if Jesus is our Lord, then He is our Master, and we should treat Him as such. Practically speaking, we need to seek His opinion on the day-to-day matters of our lives. We need to pray for His direction, His inspiration, and His leading, and we need to obediently follow as He guides, which leads to James’s statement.

“Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.”

We tend to think of Christianity as a religion of “don’ts.”

Most people who claim to be Christians (and many who do not) can give a whole litany of rules about our faith. There are many things that the Bible strictly prohibits, things we know that we should not do. Interestingly enough, however, in this final statement of Chapter Four, James is telling believers that there is another category of sin. We sin not only by what we do but also by what we don’t.

It is a sin to speak disparagingly about another; it’s also a sin to not encourage, motivate, or comfort another when given the opportunity.
It’s a sin to steal; it’s also a sin not to give to those who are needy when God commands otherwise.
It’s a sin to refuse to listen to God’s word; it’s also a sin to hear it but refuse to obey it.
It’s a sin to murder; it’s also a sin not to love my enemy.

As James’s draws near the end of his letter, he wants us to remember that sin is sin—whether by commission or omission. Living a godly life is about action, inaction, and attitudes. Living a Godly life is more than just listening to God’s Word, it’s putting into practice in our hearts, our minds, and in our everyday lives.

THIS WEEK

Continue memorizing James 1:22. Say it to a family member or friend without looking.
Read James 4:13-17 every day.
Do you struggle with control issues? If so, confess this to the Lord. Ask Him to help you rely upon His wisdom and guidance in your life. Look up and copy scriptures such as Jeremiah 29:13, Matthew 6:33, and Proverbs 3:5-6.
Prayerfully ask God to reveal areas in your life where you may be sinning by omission. In other words, what are you failing to do that God clearly wants you to do? Write down your thoughts, and ask God to help you implement ways to begin practicing your faith in those areas.