If the Lord wills… (4/12/2026)

“Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that. But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin” (James 4:15-17).

James has just taught his readers about the importance of depending on God when making plans for the future and of being aware of the brevity and uncertainty of life.

This verse describes how it looks when we follow this idea: anytime we make plans and discuss them, we should always preface our discussion with a recognition that these things can happen “If the Lord wills….”—otherwise, our discussion is “boasting.”

Such “boasting” is labeled both as “arrogance” and as “sin.” When we think of sin, we think of failing to obey God’s will, committing sins of immorality, or becoming negligent in worship; but James says neglecting our dependence on God is a sin, as well.

God is the Supreme Being—our Creator—and we know it is “good” to have Him as an integral part of our spiritual and physical lives: failure to do so is “sin.”