Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.”
Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” James 4:13-15
Heavenly Father, this Scripture reminds us we’re more like delicate morning glories than aging bonsai trees. You’ve created us for your pleasure, redeemed us by the gospel, and numbered our precious days. As our sovereign Father, how would you have us live between today and our last breath?
Indeed, in light of the gospel and your delights, what should we spend more time and less time doing? What do we need to make a bigger deal about, and a lesser deal of? When do we forgo busyness for fishing, acquiring more stuff for building deeper friendships, and making money for living on mission? By your Word, Spirit, and providence lead us, Father. Show us how to live, work, and play to your glory.
With whom should we spend more face-to-face and heart-to-heart time? What relationships have we wrongly allowed to claim, name, and drain us—mentally and emotionally? Who’s really being held hostage by the chains and pains of our unforgiveness? Free us. Life’s not about getting even but giving grace.
Father, we praise you that we’re not going to merit anything by doing a better job with any of these things. None of these questions has a scorecard, thermometer, or jury attached to it. It’s Jesus’ performance and record in which we boast and rest.
But your grace frees us to ask the right questions and live a freer, more eternity-influenced life. So make our gospel-bucket-list for us, Father. So very Amen, we pray, in Jesus’ matchless and magnificent name.
