Tony Elder, Author/Pastor

Typically, in addition to attending my own church, I also tune in each week to watch the recordings of worship services at a couple of other churches. As I was doing so one Sunday recently, some announcements about church activities were being given during the service. It was mentioned how they had postponed a meeting which had been scheduled for that day and that it would occur the next Sunday instead. What stood out to me was the firm declaration that the meeting would happen the next week “for sure.” As I heard those words, the cautionary thought entered my mind that we never know what might happen over the course of a week. As it turned out, an ice storm came through the following weekend, resulting in that church canceling its service and again postponing the promised meeting.

This incident reminded me of how uncertain the future can be. We all tend to make our plans and talk about particular events on our calendars as if they are unalterably written in stone. However, the truth is that we do not know much “for sure” about what the future holds, especially the exact timing of events. We don’t even know if we will live to see another day. There is so much that is beyond our control or our ability to predict. We do our best to schedule activities, but we do so with the understanding that things could unexpectedly change.

The Bible reminds us of that uncertainty and warns us about developing attitudes that lose sight of this truth. “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit’; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.’ But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil” (James 4:13-16).

I am sure we are all guilty at times of talking about future events as if they are assured to happen. Sometimes we do so almost absentmindedly and innocently. It is certainly often done without intending to disregard God and the fact that He is ultimately in control. I don’t know that we need to always make it a point specifically to say “if the Lord wills” as we declare our future plans, but the awareness of that truth should be present in our mind and our attitude. It would probably be a good practice to voice that fact at times as both a reminder to ourselves and to others that only God knows what is coming – He is in control and not us. I don’t believe it is the words we need to pay the most attention to, but rather the attitude that may underlie what we say or don’t say. Let’s guard against what that scripture referred to as a spirit of arrogance and boasting. Let’s keep in mind how dependent we are on God. Let’s recognize that there are factors beyond our ability to control, as well as forthcoming events beyond our knowledge.

As meteorologists made their predictions about the winter storm, there was still much uncertainty about its timing and its effects in specific areas. Likewise, we may have a good idea of what is coming in the future, but there is still much uncertainty involved that only God knows about. We can only do so much, then the rest in His hands. So let’s plan for tomorrow, but humbly remember that God is the One in control. “If the Lord wills, we will….”