Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go into
such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit"—
[14] yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you
are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. [15] Instead you
ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that."
[16] As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. [17] So
whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.
Questions for Reflection
1. If you knew you had just three months to live, what are some things you would want to do?
2. Whose attention did James want to get? (4:13)
3. What warning did James give to those who make plans for the future? (4:13-14)
4. What is the best way to plan ahead? (4:15)
5. What should we say when we are making plans? (4:15)
6. What responsibility does God want us to take in planning our lives?
7. What is the best use we can make of our lives?
8. How can we make plans for business or living which are pleasing to God?
9. Given how long you think you could live, how can you plan for the future with humility and faith?
