God's Perfect Timing

Here we are again!  Looking at the beginning of another year!  I imagine many of you have been making plans. Maybe you've written down resolutions, set goals, or mapped out what you hope 2025 will look like. There's nothing wrong with planning—in fact, it's wise to do that.

But this morning, I want us to look at what James has to say about our plans in chapter 4, verses 13-15, "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 isn't condemning planning—he's challenging our attitude toward our plans. The real issue isn't making plans, it's making plans while fearing to let go of control. And if I'm honest, that fear of letting go is something we all struggle with, especially as we face the uncertainty of a new year.

James gets right to the heart of our human condition with a sobering reminder: "What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." Think about that image for a moment. Have you ever watched your breath on a cold morning? One second it's there, visible and real, and the next second it's gone. 

This isn't meant to discourage us, but to give us perspective. Our desire for control creates anxiety because life is inherently uncertain and brief. We make detailed five-year plans, but we don't even know what tomorrow holds. We schedule our days down to the minute, but we can't control traffic, weather, or unexpected phone calls.  The people James was addressing thought they had it all figured out. "Tomorrow we will go to this city, spend a year there, make money."

Sound familiar?

James reminds us that this kind of confident planning without acknowledging God reveals a heart that's trying to be its own master.  When we cling too tightly to our plans, we set ourselves up for disappointment and anxiety. We become frustrated when things don't go according to our timeline, and we miss the beautiful ways God might be working in the detours.

But James doesn't leave us hanging in uncertainty. He offers us a beautiful alternative: "Instead, you ought to say, 'If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that.'"

This isn't just about adding a spiritual phrase to our planning—it's about a complete heart transformation.  When we say "If the Lord wills it," we're acknowledging several profound truths.

First, we're recognizing that God is sovereign over our lives.

Second, we're admitting that His perspective is infinitely greater than ours.

And third, we're expressing trust that His timing is perfect, even when it doesn't match our timeline. 

This doesn't mean we become passive or stop making goals. It means we make plans while holding them with open hands, ready to release them if God has something better in mind. It means we trust that God's delays are not God's denials – they're often God's perfect preparation.  Think about it this way: when we surrender to God's perfect timing, we actually find the peace we were trying to create through control. Instead of anxiety about the unknown future, we have confidence in the known character of our God.

So how do we practically live this out as we enter 2025?  Try this!

First, pray before you plan. Before you write down your goals or make your resolutions, spend time asking God what He wants for your life this year. Invite Him into your planning process from the very beginning. 

Second, hold your plans loosely. Write them down, work toward them, but be ready to adjust when God redirects. Remember, closed doors aren't always rejections—sometimes they're God's protection or preparation for something better. 

Finally, look for God's hand in the delays and detours. When things don't go according to your timeline, instead of getting frustrated, ask "God, what are you trying to teach me in this season? How are you preparing me for what's ahead?" 

I think of Joseph, whose dreams took over twenty years to fulfill, but those years of waiting prepared him to save nations. Or Moses, who spent forty years in the wilderness before God called him to lead Israel.

God's timing wasn't their timing, but it was perfect timing.

~Pastor Todd Creason