At the beginning of a new year, many of us make resolutions. Sometimes we set long-range goals and sometimes we make specific plans for the coming year. But we need to remember that something could take place to frustrate our intentions.
There is an ancient proverb in the Bible that says, "Do not boast about tomorrow for you do not know what a day will bring forth." (Proverbs 27:1) A wise person will not brag about what they intend to accomplish in the coming year.
The apostle James reminds us, "Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we shall 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." (James 4:13-14) We must temper our confident assertions by recognizing that there are many things beyond our control.
James says, "Instead, you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.' " (James 4:15)
We are to acknowledge God's sovereign control over our plans and even our life span. It is wise to make plans, but it is foolish to talk about them as a certainty. It may attract the admiration of others, but James says, "All such boasting is evil." (James 4:16)
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
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