I have been praying for these posts to be God’s word and today I felt it was time to discuss living independently of God. Let’s start with what scripture says…”Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow, we shall go to such and such city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.” Yet you do not know what life will be like tomorrow. You are just vapor that appears for a while and then vanishes away” – James 4:13

James deals with a very practical issue as he addresses the self-ambitious attitude of living and planning without regard to God and His Providence. He fully rebukes living independently of God with a self- sufficient mindset. This verse stands in direct contrast to living dependently upon the Lord in all of our lives pursuits. God did not design us to live apart from Him. He has a plan and purpose for your life so if you are going your own way, in time you could very well run out of strength, time, and resources. We are made to live in the light of God’s sovereignty and providence.

So let’s break this down a bit more… What is presumption? Well this verse says “Come now, you who say, Today or tomorrow, we shall go to such and such city and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.”

We can go to church on Sunday and worship the Lord as though we are dependent on Him for our every breath and life. But, then on Monday through Saturday, we can so easily live independently of Him. Our lives have become so chaotic and fast paced and we are all-consuming of our circumstances, plans, schedules, and future with total disregard to God and His will for our lives.

You may look at your life or someone else’s life and say, Yes, they appear to have it all together. They plan with careful logic, are successful by the world’s standards and this seems great! However, the question we should all ask ourselves is God leading our lives or are we?

We have the false perception that time is on our side and presume that there will be a tomorrow, But we don’t’ know that, only God knows what tomorrow will bring.

Today in Jesus Calling it says this…

Come to Me with your plans held in abeyance. Worship Me in spirit and in truth, allowing My glory to permeate your entire being. Trust Me enough to let me guide you through this day, accomplishing My purpose in My timing. Subordinate your myriad plans to My master plan. I am sovereign over EVERY aspect of your life! 

The Challenge continually before you is to trust Me and search for My way through each day. Do not blindly follow your habitual route, or you will miss what I have prepared for you. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.

I don’t know about you, but this speaks directly to my heart. It saddens me to think about living a life without God. God is always with us but are we always with Him???

Prayer starts out feeling foreign but as you seek Him, don’t think for a moment he won’t open your eyes to who is really is. He will show you things you can’t even imagine and take care of you in ways that we humans can’t comprehend. He wants to show His glory, His riches and His will!

Slow down your pace and ask your father to take the reins in your life. There will be waiting because time is something humans created not our Lord. Sometimes, He needs to work our independence out so there is room for Him to live in us.

Remember our residence really is in Heaven with our creator. We are just temporarily residing here on earth. Beth Moore calls in out TRA- Temporarily Residing Abroad. We are spiritual beings having a human experience. We are not human beings having a spiritual experience.

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect- Romans 12:2