Sermon Excerpt from James 4:13-17
“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’—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.” (vv.13–14)
This is the very Word that opened my eyes in the pit of grief and guilt-driven depression. Because James isn’t just giving us a reminder here—he’s giving us a wake-up call. Our lives are momentary. Our breaths are borrowed. And we are not guaranteed another one.
But he’s not alone in saying that. His brother Jesus said something similar: “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Matthew 6:34)
Now that’s an odd sentence if you think about it. What does it mean for tomorrow to be anxious for itself? Why is that the reason not to be anxious about tomorrow? Well, let me propose two reasons, both of which can be true.
First, tomorrow is anxious for itself because tomorrow has its own troubles—just like today has its own troubles. And that means you and I don’t have the strength to carry tomorrow’s weight today. As Corrie Ten Boom once said, “Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength.” Don’t waste today’s grace worrying about tomorrow’s battles. Because here’s the good news—even though sin brings trouble into today, God brings mercy into today. He brings grace into today. He brings strength into today. You’ve been given what you need for this day. So use it.
Second, tomorrow is anxious for itself because tomorrow might not come. James says it plain: “You do not know what tomorrow will bring.” And he’s right. You don’t know. I don’t know. Your life is a mist. A vapor. You didn’t decide when to arrive here. And you won’t get to decide when you leave. So don’t boast in tomorrow—you may not have it.
I know that might make some of you even more anxious, but listen to me: if that scares you, it’s probably because you’ve spent more time looking forward than looking around. You’re always focused on what’s next, and never on what’s now. But there’s a reason God didn’t make you able to travel through time—because He wants you to live in the time He gave you. He put you in this moment, on this day, right where you are for a reason. You’re not here to wait until later. You’re here to obey Him now. So stop worrying about the possibility of tomorrow and start worshiping God with the reality of today.
“Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.’” (v.15)
This is the verse that pulled me out of the pit. Because verse 15 confronts us with a reality most people don’t want to admit—and even fewer want to submit to. It’s the Sovereignty of God. It’s that hard but glorious truth that you are not your own.
Paul puts it bluntly in 1 Corinthians 6:19–20: “You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” In other words, you don’t belong to yourself. You don’t own your life. You don’t run your schedule. You are not the master of your fate. Even if it looks like you’re making the decisions, the truth is this: you are where you are because God willed that you be there. You planned it? Sure. You drove here? Of course. But why did your heart keep beating while you were driving? Why did you wake up this morning? Because God said so. That’s it.
James says, “You ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills.’” Not if I will. Not if I choose. If the Lord wills.
If He commands the waves and the sea, if He speaks to planets and stars and they obey, what makes you think your lungs work without His permission? What makes you think you’re the only thing in the universe not under His control? No, beloved. He is sovereign over you. Over your body. Over your breath. Over your calendar. And that’s not bad news. That’s good news. Because the One who holds your life is the same One who gave His life for you. You are not your own, because you were bought. And not with silver or gold—but with blood. With the blood of Christ. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…” (John 3:16). “He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all…” (Romans 8:32). “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree…” (1 Peter 2:24). You were purchased. And the price was precious.
So maybe tomorrow isn’t guaranteed. That’s okay. Because you’ve been given something better than tomorrow. You’ve been given eternal life. And that’s a promise more secure than anything this world can offer. You don’t need tomorrow when you’ve got eternity.
“As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” (vv.16–17)
This is the last lesson. God opened my eyes through the truth that life is short. He pulled me out of despair by showing me that my life is not my own. And now, He motivates me day by day with this truth: my momentary life is meant to be spent serving Him.
It is far too often that far too many of us believe the lie that we have to be perfect before we can obey. That we have to have it all together before we can serve. That’s nonsense. God didn’t save you to sit still. He didn’t save you so that you could live for yourself by living your best life the way you sinfully desire without fear of repercussion, nor did He wait until you had it all together before He called you! He bought your momentary life, while you were yet a sinner, with an eternal price so that you could live it for His eternal purpose!
So, beloved, obey Him. Proclaim Him. Share the Word. Love the hurting. Preach the gospel. And trust Him to do the saving because in the field of life, you don’t grow the vines! You just plant the seeds, instead God grows the vines because faith comes by hearing, and hearing the Word of Christ. Not by hearing a good argument. Not by listening to a slick presentation. But by the power of the Living Word.
Therefore, don’t waste your mist. Spend your momentary life for the eternal King. Don’t fear tomorrow. Trust the One who holds it firmly in His pierced hands! And do not live for yourself. Live for the One who bought you
Grace be with you.