The Obedience of "Lord Willing"

"Anyone, then, who knows the right thing to do and fails to do it commits sin." James 4:17 (NRSVUE)

Have you ever heard someone say, "Lord willing"? For some, it's a habitual expression. For others, it can sound old-fashioned or overly pious. Yet in James 4:13-17, we discover that these words point to something much deeper. The author warns against arrogant self-sufficiency and calls believers to humble dependence on God. Our lives are not ultimately under our control, and our future is not ours to guarantee.

Notice, though, how the author concludes this teaching. That "then" in verse 17 tells us that, while acknowledging God as the author of all things, we aren't to sit around and do nothing, but to do the right thing.

What is that right thing?

In the immediate context of this passage, the author is speaking about humility. The merchants in verses 13-16 make their plans as though they control tomorrow. The right thing, then, is to acknowledge God's sovereignty and live with humble dependence upon him.

But the author's words reach far beyond these few verses. The right thing is whatever God has made known to us through the Holy Spirit. It is the obedience that lies before us today: the kindness we know we should show, the forgiveness we know we should extend, the generosity we know we should practice, the truth we know we should speak, and the faithfulness we know God requires.

Don’t get me wrong, saying "Lord willing" is not wrong. In fact, it expresses a deeply biblical truth: our plans, our lives, and our futures rest in God's hands. Yet the author reminds us that acknowledging God's will is not an excuse for passivity. Because our lives are in God's hands, we are free to do the good God has placed before us today, trusting him with whatever tomorrow may bring.

Gracious God, architect of all that is and all that will be, may we, in trusting our lives to you, not fail to be doers of your Word. By the working of your Holy Spirit, give us wisdom to know the right thing and courage to do it; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Grace & Peace,

Pastor Tim