Living by God's Will

 

“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, ¹⁴yet 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” (James 4:13-14)

How many of us have repeated this saying: "If God wills, or If the Lord wills..."? Many times, when we say this saying, we don't think about the profound and true meaning of these words. Why? Because in reality, our entire life—every day, every hour, every minute of it—depends on God's will.

These three simple words carry within them a universe of meaning that we often overlook in our hurried daily existence. When we calmly say, "If God wills," we're acknowledging, perhaps without realizing it, one of the most fundamental truths of human existence: we are not the ultimate authors of our own story. Yet how often do we live as if we were?

James asks a critical question for us to reflect on: What is our life? Have you thought about the answer to that question? It's a question that stops us in our tracks, forcing us to confront the reality of our existence beyond the noise of our daily routines, our plans, and our carefully built schedules.

The answer James gives us is also significant: “We are like a mist that appears and disappears in a short time”. In other words, our lives are temporary. This metaphor is both humbling and beautiful. Think of morning mist rising from a lake or a mountain, present one moment and gone the next. There's something almost poetic about this comparison, yet it carries a sobering truth. Our lives, no matter how significant they may seem to us, are but a brief moment in the grand tapestry of eternity.

Nothing and no one guarantees that you will live another day. This isn't meant to instill fear, but rather to awaken us to the preciousness of each moment we're given. Every sunrise is a gift, every breath an act of divine grace. It is only by God's will that we live, that our hearts continue to beat, that our lungs continue to draw air.

We often live lives out of control, outside of God's will. How easy it is to fall into this pattern! We wake up each morning assuming the day belongs to us, making plans as if we were guaranteed tomorrow, pursuing goals as if our strength and wisdom alone would secure them. We schedule our lives down to the minute, fill our calendars with appointments and commitments, and rarely pause to ask, "Lord, what would You have me do today?"

We often want to use this saying to justify our behavior or the decisions we make, as if God's will be for us not to obey Him. This is perhaps one of our greatest spiritual deceptions—using God's sovereignty as an excuse for our disobedience or laziness. We might say, "Well, if God wills it, it will happen," while neglecting the very responsibilities and callings He has placed before us.

James commends us to think differently. Instead of seeing the Christian life as just another commitment in life, we must understand that everything we do, we do to serve the Lord. My plans are His plans. This shift in perspective changes everything. Suddenly, our work becomes worship, our relationships become ministry opportunities, and our challenges become chances to demonstrate faith.

The story goes that the great composer Johann Sebastian Bach, upon finishing each of his compositions, would write the letters SDG. These letters stand for Soli Deo Gloria, to God Alone be the Glory. This was Bach's way of reminding himself that his music wasn't a way to do a job, it was a way to honor God. Bach understood that his extraordinary talent was not his own achievement, but a gift from the Creator to be used for the Creator's glory.

Imagine if we approached every task, every conversation, every decision with Bach's mindset. What if we ended our workdays, our parenting moments, our acts of service with the same dedication: "To God alone be the glory"? How different would our lives look if we truly believed that our abilities, our opportunities, and our very existence are gifts to be stewarded for His purposes?

We must learn to depend on God's self-sufficiency and understand that His will for our lives is to give us His best. This doesn't mean life will be easy or that all our desires will be fulfilled according to our timeline. Rather, it means trusting that the One who created us knows what we truly need for abundant life, both now and in eternity.

We, too, must honor God by giving Him our best. Not our leftovers, not our second efforts, not what remains after we've served our interests first. Our best energy, our finest gifts, our deepest devotion belong to Him who gave us life itself.

May God bless you and keep you, and may these words renew your spirit as you surrender each moment to His perfect will.

Dr. Dimas Castillo