Faith That Works: Life

Probably one of the most frequently asked questions in history has been . . . What is the meaning of life?  I have found myself asking that question throughout my life, pondering how I got here, why I am here, why I was born in the life circumstances I am rather than in some much more impoverished existence in another part of the world.  I look around at the world and creation and can’t help but wonder where did this all come from?  Where did it all begin?  The answer to the question “what is your life?” is one that we must all answer for ourselves.  How we answer this question will dictate whether our lives are characterized by arrogance, evil, and waste or humility, righteousness, and purpose.

READ:  James 4:13-17

What do we learn from James about the answer to the question, “WHAT IS YOUR LIFE?”

The future of our life is TOO UNPREDICTABLE for us to plan out (vss 13-14a) – In jr high and high school I thought I had my life pretty well planned out . . . PLAN A = practice and become the greatest athlete I could become, get an athletic scholarship, and pursue an athletic career as far as it would take me.  If that did not work out I had a PLAN B (backup plan) so that if plan A did not work out I would still be able to get a good job . . . use my skills and ability in art, go to college, and get a degree in engineering/architecture.  Plan 3 (God’s plan) = Abandon plan A or B and obediently follow God who had a completely DIFFERENT, and yet perfect, plan for me.  We must all pursue God’s will, life is too uncertain to leave our immediate and eternal future in the hands of our own limited ability, strength, and creativity.

Life is TOO SHORT to waste it on our own selfish/temporary plans (vs 14b) –  According to James, our life, the 75 to 80 years that we have on this earth is like a mist.  We have life on this earth for a moment and then we evaporate into eternity (Psalm 102:3, 11, 103:15; Job 7:7, 14:2; Isaiah 40:6-8; 1 Pet 1:24-25; James 1:10).  This means that our lives are too short to waste.  We all have a physical “expiration date” and we need to use our lives for their intended purposes.  Have you ever found an old can on the shelf that had long expired?  An expired can is good for nothing but to be thrown away and was never able to be used for its intended purpose.  We never know when our lives might expire and so we must get “off the shelf” and quit wasting opportunities to do what God has planned for us by making our own plans and directing our own lives.

Living life doing the right things is TOO IMPORTANT for us to miss the Lord’s will (vss 15-17) – The alternative to sitting on the shelf by making our own plans and directing our own lives is to allow God to dictate the activities and events of our lives.  Jeremiah 29:11 says, “I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Prov. 16:3, 9, 19:21; Romans 12:1-2).  Anytime we reject God’s will, the “right” thing to do, James says we are sinning!  Making our own plans and directing our own lives reveals our greatest problem which is an arrogant, rebellious, and therefore sinful, attitude against God.   Life is too important not to pursue and obediently live out God’s very best.

Conclusion:

If we don’t do the right things that God has purposed for us to do, our lives will be characterized by sin and we will be rebelliously missing out on the best that God has for our lives!  It’s never too late to pursue God’s will for your life.  If you think you have done too much planning and it would be too devastating to turn back now, it is NEVER too late abandon our pursuits and give our lives over to the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God!  What is your life?  I don’t have all the answers about life, but I do know that it is too unpredictable, too short, and too important to live without His input!