Arrogance of Assumption

"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 then vanishes.

Instead, you ought to say,

'If it is the Lord's will,

we will live and do this or that.'

As it is,

you boast in your arrogant schemes. 

All such boasting is evil.

If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do

and doesn't do it,

it is sin for them."

James 4:13-17

It is easy to count on that which may not happen.   Pastor and writer John Piper once challenged my arrogance of this kind of assumption when I heard him say that I shouldn't be surprised when someone dies.  Instead, I should be amazed when I am blessed with another moment to live.  

If I am to live as if my life is not my own, as disciples of Jesus are called to live, then there are some basics I must accept. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

Life is a Gift

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."  

You may recognize this familiar phrase as taken from the Declaration of Independence.  Americans rely on such rights as members of a free society where our liberties are vital to the welfare of the people.  This right to life extends also to the unborn, whose claims to life have been taken away in the country since 1973.  While God upholds the sanctity of life, I'm not sure that He would agree with the assertion that I have a right to live.

You see, life is a gift.  Every breathe I take is only at the mercy of the Giver of life.  He is the only One with a right:  The right to give, and the right to take. (Exodus 33:19)  He decides the length of my life, and only He knows how long I have left. (Psalm 139:16)  Life is fragile and is completely in the hands of God.

Once I comprehend and accept this truth, I will begin to live differently.  Instead of wasting the time God has given to me, I will look for ways to honor Him and glorify His name in all I do.  (Colossians 3:17)  As a replacement for taking all the good things I have for granted, I will adopt an attitude of thanksgiving.  In the place of living recklessly for myself I will begin to give my all for Him.  

Instead of assuming I'll have tomorrow, I desire to live each day as if it were a gift from God; because it is!

God is Sovereign

My plans were all laid out.  I would graduate from college and use my degree to build a fulfilling career.  After that, maybe I would get married and have children, but that wasn't high on my list of priorities.  As I look back the thirty years that has passed since I graduated from high school when my head was filled with such thoughts of the future, I realize how wrong I was about how my life would turn out.

Instead of building a fulfilling career, I became an Army wife and mom of four daughters.  I would never trade the life I've lived, but it was not the life I would have ever chosen for myself.  Thankfully, God knows better and He has a plan for my life that I could never imagine.  (Jeremiah 29:11, Ephesians 3:20)

Once I comprehend this truth and let God be in the driver's seat of my life, a peace will flood my heart as I stop trying to find my own blueprint for the days I have left.  

Where once I would try so hard to be the person I thought God wanted me to be, I will find I can move forward onto the path He has cleared for me, free from the self-imposed pressure I place to become someone I was never destined to be.

Instead of working so hard to fulfill my own strategies, I can wait for God to reveal the way He wants me to go.  

Living like I believe that God is sovereign will mean I can stop trying to impress Him and as a replacement simply live in relationship with Him.  He loves me as I am; and He loves me more than I can imagine.

Instead of assuming I am in control, I desire to live each day out of obedience to the One who holds the blueprint for my life.

Obedience

We've all seen it:  The expert dog trainer whose own 'best friend' is out of control.  Or the exercise instructor who can't complete his own workout regime.  Or the financial planner who is going through bankruptcy.  Knowledge is all well and good, but what good is it if I can't apply it to my own life?

Learning more about God by reading His Word is not just to grow my brain size.  Studying the Bible is not so I can retain more knowledge about God.  Rather, spending time sitting at the feet of Jesus as He teaches me His ways through the study of His Word is so that I will take what I have learned and apply it to my own life.  (James 1:22)

If I am not willing to do what I am told, can I really consider myself to be a disciple of Christ?  Instead, it is more like I am an observer, or a student.  A follower, however, is one who does as her leader does.

When God shows me about His compassion, it is so that I will realize my own lack of mercy and forgiveness toward others, seeking instead to extend grace liberally wherever I go.  When God shows me about His rest, I can either find it interesting or I can strive to enter into the rest that comes with trusting Him, putting His Word into practice.  When God shows me about His claim on my life, I can choose to continue to live my life my way, or I can surrender all to Him as my Redeemer.  

Instead of assuming that I can continue to live as I always have, I desire to live each day in obedience to what He is constantly teaching me.

It is all too easy to take things for granted and assume what I should never believe.  Instead, I can live with the understanding that life is a gift, God is in control, and that obedience is important.  In these ways I will avoid the arrogance of assumption.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I will never count on that which is out of my control.

How do I assume I'll be here tomorrow in the way I make my plans?

When do I brush off the lessons God is teaching me?

Open my Eyes

"'Don't be afraid,' the prophet answered.

'Those who are with us

are more than those who are with them.'

And Elisha prayed, 'O LORD, 

open his eyes so he may see.'"

2 Kings 6:16-17

Elisha was in a tight spot.  Through the revelation of God, the prophet had been tipping off the king of Israel regarding the movements of his enemy's actions.  Whenever the king of Aram changed positions, the army of Israel had already anticipated their moves.  Frustrated, the king of Aram vowed to capture the prophet, ending their advantage.  

As the enemy troops gathered around the city, Elisha's servant took one look and knew they were doomed.  His courage was gone, his hope had disappeared, his strength had vanished.  They were surrounded!  The army of Aram was strong with horses and chariots, giving them the clear advantage!  There was no escape!

I feel like that sometimes.  I look at the circumstances of my life and deduce that there is no way out.  I am surrounded by problems.  I can see no possible escape from my troubles.  My thoughts turn to feelings of doom.

Then, I look to God, and He opens my eyes to the truth, much like Elisha's servant's vision was broadened.  When my perspective has changed and I see the multitudes that are fighting in my stead, my hope returns.

Broaden my View 

The bills pile up, my health declines, the family grows apart, I fall into despair.  All my problems feel overwhelming; they are taking up my entire viewpoint, blocking out the glory of God.  He is bigger than all my struggles, but my focus is too narrow.  I am concentrating excessively on the issues.

It is kind of like trying to view a majestic mountain from close up.  When I am on the mount, all I see is white snow.  It doesn't seem so impressive because I can't see the whole peak.  Once I descend and take a look at the same mountain from the valley below, I appreciate the magnificence of it's imposing presence.  Up close it just seemed like a vast snowfield.

In a similar way, I can't appreciate the power of God when I am focusing on a tiny part of the picture.  When I only see the here and now and the impossibility of my issues, I forget that God is bigger.  When I am trying to come up with solutions to my problems, I am overlooking the fact that God uses trials to refine me in the same way that a silversmith purifies silver in the fire.  When I dwell on the hardships, I fail to see all the good that God has given me.

The people of Judah found themselves in an impossible situation during the time of King Hezekiah.  The Assyrian army surrounded the city of Jerusalem, and the people were afraid.  But the wise king encouraged them by saying, "Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him.  With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles." (2 Chronicles 32:7-8) Not surprisingly, the people gained confidence from his words. 

Notice that Hezekiah did not deny that the army that laid siege upon their city was large.  He was upfront about the threat that faced them.  What Hezekiah did was to remind everyone that no matter how big the problem, God is bigger!  Like God reminded Abram, "I am your shield, your very great reward." (Genesis 15:1)

When hard times hit, I can remember that God's power overwhelms any force that I can face.  If He is for me, who can be against me? (Romans 8:31) Who or what can stand against the Lord?

When tough times overwhelm me, I need to broaden my view.

Lighten my Grip

I'll admit it; I'm a control freak.  I like to be in charge.  It makes me feel more comfortable knowing that I make the decisions.  Directing my own path seems natural.  The problem with this tendency is that I am not really in control.  I like to think I am, but the Creator of the universe is in charge.  

When I refuse to let go of my own sense of autonomy, I am in essence saying that I am god and there is no need for another.  My desire to manage my life the way I see fit and in the way that pleases me gets in the way of Jesus reigning as Lord of my life.  As Oswald Chambers said, "He is King of kings and Lord of lords from the day of His Ascension until now."  There is no doubt that Jesus sits on the throne, but does He reign in my life?  Or do my desires, comfort and well-being rule?

Trying to direct my own paths has not worked very well, in my experience.  I tend to obsess over problems, analyzing possible solutions and dreaming up various scenarios until I'm sick to death of thinking about my difficulty.  I never thought of myself as a worrier, but considering the fact that worrying is simply focused thinking on difficulties or troubles, I came to the conclusion that I am a first class worrywart!.

Jesus had something to say to me, the bundle of nerves. He said to watch the rest of creation for a clue: birds never worry because they trust God to provide for their needs.  He knows what I need better than I do, and I can place my confidence in Him rather than in my own wherewithal. Then He advised me to, ". . .seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." (Matthew 6:33)

Letting go of my desire to control and giving God dominion over my life means I will trust Him to provide my needs.  I will be so secure in His ability to supply that I won't even think about it.  Instead, I'll be completely focused on what He's doing around me and how I can join in.

When my grip is white-knuckled, it's time to let go and give God a chance.

Narrow my Scope

We've all heard it: "He who plans to fail, fails to plan."  The maxim to "plan ahead" is drilled into our minds at a young age.  While it is wise to give thought to my future, if I extend those thoughts to foreseeing possible difficulties and taking part in troubleshooting of future imagined problems, I will work myself into a pile of nervous anxiety.  

John Piper, author and pastor, explained this phenomenon by using the term, "future grace."  He said God gives us a continuous supply of grace, but each day's supply is sufficient only for that day's trouble. That's why Jesus said to, "not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own."  

I have been given enough grace to handle today's problems, but when I hone in on things that may happen in the future, I am weighed down by the pressure.  I have not yet been given the strength to handle what may come tomorrow.  I am only enabled to cope with today.

As I "borrow trouble" by focusing on the future, I am taking away the grace that was meant for today.  Corrie Ten Boom, holocaust survivor and author of The Hiding Place, said, "Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows, it empties today of its strength."  Using today's God- given resources to attempt to deal with tomorrow's troubles robs me of today's grace.

Instead, it is my desire to maximize the grace God has given me for this day and use it only for today's difficulties. 

When my vision is too far-sighted, it's time to narrow my scope.

There is a lot in this world to keep me anxious.  If, however, I broaden my view to take in all that God is doing behind the scenes to protect me, lighten my grip to give God dominion over my life, and narrow my scope to focus only on the troubles God has supplied the grace to handle, I will live a life of peace that passes understanding.

As I begin this day, it is my prayer that I will live my life with my eyes wide open to God's sovereign work that is happening all around me.

How do I discount God's power by trying to rely on my own strength?

When do I think I can try to tackle tomorrow's problems and thus borrow trouble?