Plan with Open Hands
As we turn the page into a new year, we often find ourselves thinking about what’s next—goals, plans, resolutions. Whether it’s fitness, finances, or family, we naturally start filling our calendars with what we hope to achieve.
But James 4:13–17 offers a timely reminder that should shape how we plan—not with prideful assumption, but with humble submission.
James confronts a common attitude: “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town… and make a profit.” It’s detailed. It sounds responsible. But it’s missing one thing: dependence on God.
He reminds us that our lives are like a “mist”—a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes. In other words, we are not in control. And that truth should humble us.
James doesn’t tell us to avoid planning. Instead, he encourages us to plan differently. “You ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.’” This simple phrase—if the Lord wills—is not a tagline. It’s a theology. It’s a declaration that God is sovereign and we are not.
So, as you step into 2026, here are two questions to consider:
- Have you invited God into your plans?
Planning isn’t wrong. Pride is. Acknowledge that your timing, success, and even breath depend on the Lord. Write your goals in pencil, and give God the eraser. - Is there something God has made clear to you that you’ve delayed doing?
James closes this section by saying, “So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” Obedience delayed is still disobedience. Don’t wait for the perfect time to obey what God has already made clear.
This year, let’s be people who plan—but plan with open hands. Let’s pursue Jesus, carry hope, and make disciples with a posture of humility that says, “If the Lord wills.”
Let’s begin this year with a prayer: “Lord, my life and my plans are Yours. Direct my steps. I trust You more than I trust my calendar.”
Happy New Year, church family!
