Don't take yourself so seriously ... look to God.
- Christine DiGiacomo
- 2 hours ago
- 4 min read
Hey, Atlas, maybe it's time you shrugged--
sure, there are things going on in your life
and rest of world, but Dude, you need to exhale,
and remember that things are not all up to you,
nor. are. they. all. about. you!
Phew....!
Clearly, someone in James' sphere of influence had lost his way so he wrote:
What is your life?
For you are a mist that appears for a little time
and then vanishes.1
Something about this verse shouts to me, 'Stop taking yourself so dang seriously!' Life is really short, so get a grip. Go ahead and make your plans, but remember: the final outcome is in God's hands.
Putting the verse in context, 13 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.”2
Until very recently, I read this passage as 'hey, make your plans, but hold them loosely, because God has the last word.' Every time I started the day thinking I knew what it was to hold and suddenly, it got detoured, I smiled inside thinking of these words of James, acknowledging only God knows how things will play out. Okay, true that - but I do believe it is bigger than that--
James puts a priority on living according to God's will,
and seeking him first before we make our plans.
I can hear it now, "God's will? Seriously, how. can. I. know. God's. will?" hmmm...
Interestingly, some of the same people who have asked me that question are too busy to read the Bible, which is after all our Handbook for Life, informing us of God's will, God's way for us to live.
"But what about specifics? Like decisions I need to make, details that are not in the Bible--how do I know what God would have me do?" Pray. Ask God, and he will show you. Look for him to lead you, and he will; I know, my life stands as a testament to that.
But the reason we can relax, the reason we can stop being so worried about what is going to happen tomorrow, is that we have given ourselves to God today , and we have given our today to God.
(surrender, wink, wink, nod...Remember? Gotta be Honest for a Minute, https://conta.cc/4vNzOeI).
Jesus spoke so clearly to this, "seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."3
Jesus continued,
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow,
for tomorrow will worry about itself.
Each day has enough trouble of its own.4
At this moment, a Moroccan taxi driver in Boston, raised Muslim, comes to mind. Yes, Hakim, I remember our conversation when you said, 'I know something is out there, but I don't think I believe in Islam anymore...'
'Hello, my friend, and I know you read regularly; so, what is God's will for you? Same as it is for all of us, lovingly created in His image.
How can you know God's will, what he wants you to do?
->Get into his Word (would you like me to send you a Bible?) It is truth.
In the Scriptures, God tells us how to live in all arenas of life,
how to think well, about our sexuality, marriage and raising a family;
how to feel about ourselves and how we treat others... it is all in there.
->Learn of his love for you, Hakim, how he invites you into relationship with Him,
->to love him above all else and then love your neighbor as yourself.
->Find a church where you can worship God, learn and grow, and also serve others.
The will of God comes from the heart of God, so it is never harsh or punishing. Apart from the will of God, life is truly a mystery. When you know Jesus Christ as your Savior, and seek to do his will, then life starts to make sense. Even the physical world around you takes on new meaning. There is a simplicity and unity to your life that makes for poise and confidence. You are no longer living in a mysterious, threatening universe. You can look around, look up and sing, "This is my Father's world!"5 And smile.
And with that, my friends, you are meant to enjoy God, and take pleasure in the life he has given you, bearing in mind that the 'joy of the Lord is your strength'!6 Smile often. . . laugh easily. . . offer a kind word to a stranger. Look for ways to encourage another along his way. Wake up each day with the anticipation of the beauty the day holds! Look around you and participate in your life.
O God, lead us in your way, we pray.
just found this song that is so fitting, so encouraging: Here I Am,
The caption below this brand new song reads: In “Here I Am,” MountainTop Worship delivers a beautifully transparent anthem of absolute surrender. Moving from a quiet, posture-refining confession of human limitation into a soaring, choir-backed declaration of divine lordship, this track serves as an essential spiritual shield—inviting the global church to trade the exhausting weight of personal control for the perfect peace of God's sovereignty. Sign me up!!
Christine
James, no.18
1 - James 4.14b
2 - James 4.13-15
3 - Matthew 6.33, King James Version
4 - Matthew 6.34
5 - Be Mature, Warren Wiersbe, p.138
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