James 4:15-16
"Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil" (James 4:15-16).
These verses continue James' admonition to the church that boasting about tomorrow is not only futile, but presumptuous and arrogant in the sight of God. We are not deities. We do not have the power to see the future with absolute certainty.
It is only because of God that what we do know comes from the pages of Scripture, which illuminates our minds to His supreme sovereignty and majesty. For He does not reveal Himself with no purpose in mind, but relays His will through His Word for His glory and our sanctification. Therefore, we are most assuredly without excuse because we have access to His will every moment of our lives here on earth through the pages of inerrant Scripture.
James' statement, "If the Lord wills," should compel us to examine how often we seek the will of the Father. Typically, we rely on our own capacities and judgment in the face of decision and discernment.
We fail to FIRST go to the Lord in prayer, seeking His wisdom that we may live righteously and in communion with His will. Instead, prayer tends to come into the equation AFTER we make a decision and begin reaping the consequences, or we are so stricken with indecision that we finally cry out to God in frustration and desperation. Why?
In truth, it is an issue of priority. And we are foolish to assume we are prioritizing God in all facets of our lives when our insatiable appetite for control hinders what the Holy Spirit seeks to accomplish in our hearts when we do relinquish our will for the Father's. Therefore, we must answer one all-encompassing question, "What is His will?" If we consider God's will in terms of obeying His commandments, then our Lord answers this question specifically.
"Jesus answered, "The most important is, 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these" (Mark 12:29-31).
But if we discern God's will from a salvation perspective, Jesus affirms, "For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day" (John 6:40).
In either case, when we stop and reflect, our purpose and mission in the time we have been given to live on this earth is always one of time and priority. We can easily and introspectively filter our hearts by the grace and mercy of almighty God through the power of His Word by asking ourselves the following questions:
Who do I prioritize? God or myself?
What do I prioritize? God's will (regardless of the cost), or my (calculated and comfortable) selfish will?
When do I prioritize? At all times, when it's convenient, or when it's my last resort?
Where do I prioritize? Are all areas of my heart open to the Spirit's conviction, or is my heart compartmentalized to only allow the Spirit access to certain areas of my life?
How do I prioritize? In prayer to God, or by self-reliance, logic, emotions, and/or personal experiences?
Why do I prioritize? To glorify God, or to satisfy my selfish desires above all others?
When we assume we know what is best for our lives, we boast in our arrogance and create idols of self-reliance over the sovereignty of God. We fail to recognize that it's all or nothing when it comes to God: We either surrender our will for His will or continue living in sin. We can no longer assume we are living for righteousness when we elevate what we want above God and live out the Gospel halfhearted.
"Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness’" (Matthew 7:21-23).
Surrendering our will comes with a cost. We all know that, and honestly that is what drives our hesitancy and indecision to relinquish control to God in all circumstances. For we are creatures of comfort, wired to self-protect when trials come according to the Father's will.
We struggle to embrace pain and suffering, and avoid persecution at all costs. But that is where the power of God's Word reminds us that we are not alone, because Jesus modeled obedience to the Father's will above selfish desires.
Even in the moments prior to accepting His fate, Jesus could have escaped. Rather, He chose to submit, obey and surrender His will for what the Father prioritized as most important, even His own death for the salvation of mankind.
"And he said, 'Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will'" (Mark 14:36).
Therefore, let us not cower in fear but embrace the cross of Calvary by the power of God's Word as our ultimate authority, in all circumstances and at all times, because He is worthy to be praised for what He has done for us through His Son, Jesus Christ.
