Self-Confidence or God's Providence

James 4: 13 - 17

This is a classic passage from the Epistle of James. It is not meant to discourage us from planning our lives. Of course, in our lives, we will make plans, and this is not what James criticizes. Rather, if we read carefully, what he rebukes is the worldly self-confidence that is built upon our own experiences or resources.

We can reconstruct this passage and picture a successful businessman. Being successful, he certainly has self-confidence, and the temptation is he may no longer depend on God, and instead depend on his success. Of course, this is not a prohibition against success. But doesn’t success often lead to self-confidence? Especially in our time, where pragmatism is widely celebrated and whatever works is deemed right, we tend to assume that the actions and words of successful people must be right, while disregarding those who are not. Our world celebrates the advice of successful people. It is therefore understandable that those who are successful become self-confident. But herein lies the problem: this attitude stems from human arrogance. We tend to believe that because of our past successes, our future success is guaranteed. However, there is no such guarantee. It is arrogant to assume that we, as one commentary puts it, have the ability to determine the course of future events.

It is interesting how James makes this argument by depicting the fleeting and temporary nature of human life. Verse 14 says, “yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring … for you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.” What does this have to do with self-confidence? In contrast to the short, fleeting life, we tend to think that our life is substantially long, and thus we believe that we have had enough experiences. For instance, we may feel more confident in our job because we have been in that position for a long time. But when we compare our life with the vast span of history, it is actually insignificant and incomparable. Human life is very short and replaceable. Those who are self-confident tend to think of themselves as significant and influential, believing they can control the future. But in reality, our life is transitory, fleeting like a mist.

There is a certain beauty when we understand that our life is insubstantial and transitory. The beauty of music lies in the way different notes replace one another. Each note must ‘die’ and give way to the next, or there will be no melody. Likewise, the transitory nature of life can be beautiful if we recognize how God works through it rather than focusing solely on ourselves. If we perceive our fleeting existence as part of God’s orchestration, then our transitoriness can be beautiful. But if we view it through a self-centered lens, where everything revolves around our own significance, then we will fail to see its beauty. Thus, understanding our life as a mist can be beautiful. And if we are but a mist, we should not be overconfident, for a short life means we have no control over what lies ahead.

Proverbs 27:1 says, “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring.” Indeed, we cannot live without planning. However, when we become too confident that everything will unfold according to our plan, reality may prove otherwise. We can read the classic parable from Jesus in Luke 12:16-21. While the warning in this parable, based on its context, is against storing up treasures for oneself, we can also view it from another angle and connect it to James’ teaching. Both passages describe a businessman who is so confident in his plans and he feels entitled to enjoy the fruits of his labor. Yet, he fails to realize that even a single day of his life is beyond his control. Indeed, being able to enjoy the results of our work is also God’s grace.

This is very similar to the warning James gives in verse 15, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” We should still plan and take responsibility, putting effort into carrying out our plans. However, what is more important is the attitude of our hearts, whether we recognize that it is God who controls and guides our lives, and not our own selves. To quote a commentary, there is an “element of contingency to all our planning.” We can make plans, but all our plans are contingent. We cannot depend on our own abilities; instead, we should always depend on the will of God.

Hopefully, when we meditate on this, we can become more humble, rather than, because of our abilities and experiences, becoming boastful. The term ‘boast’ itself is not always negative, especially in the writings of Paul, where he uses it several times. The meaning of the term can be neutral, as in ’to put confidence in’ or ’to rejoice in’. However, in this passage, James uses it in a negative sense because this boasting stems from the arrogance of being self-sufficient, which is typical of worldly thinking. When we believe that we are self-sufficient, that we can control our future, and that everything will unfold according to our plans, this is where the problem lies.

Christian life is a testimony of a life dependent on God; this is a beautiful Christian witness. The world teaches that when we are young, we depend on others, but as we grow, we become less dependent. Especially as we become highly successful, we can be independent of others. Not only that, others may become dependent on us. This is how the world sees it, and it couldn’t be more contradictory to Christianity. In Christianity, the more we mature, the more we depend, not only on God, but also on one another. We hope our community can be one that relies on each other, as this is a true sign of maturity. While the world promotes autonomy and being independent, James wanted his community to grow not in the direction of arrogance, self-sufficiency, and self-confidence, but in deeper confidence in God.

There is contingency in our planning, and this is not a sign of weakness; rather, it is a sign of maturity. The same applies to our opinions, which are also contingent, and thus we must remain open to reason. We need open communication and discussion, as these are signs of maturity. One challenge in our time is being open to reason, especially regarding our political opinions. The issue has become so polarized that having a healthy debate or discussion has become increasingly difficult. When we’ve already made up our minds and chosen a side, whatever is said or done by our side is always right in our eyes. Similarly, we view our opponents as always wrong, no matter what. However, if we recognize that our plans and opinions are contingent, we can learn to relativize them. The only absolute is God and His will. That is why we need to grow in our knowledge of Him.

The more we grow in spiritual maturity, the more we give place to the sovereign God. We will humbly confess and acknowledge that we are not the ones who control the duration and direction of our lives. This is a liberating message for all of us. However, this doesn’t mean we should live irresponsibly. At times, we fall into one extreme where we don’t want to take responsibility because we are not in control. On the other hand, when given responsibility, we want to have total control. Both extremes reflect immaturity. If we truly grow in God’s grace, we will be responsible in our planning while acknowledging that God is ultimately in control. This is the correct balance, and it is liberating. May God grant us the grace to live in this way.

This passage ends with a warning against the sin of omission (verse 17), which may seem out of place. Why does it end this way? To understand it, we must read the verse in the context of the passage. What is “the right thing to do” here? It is to be humble and dependent on God, instead of boasting, because such boasting is evil. If we fail to do this, we sin against God, because boasting goes against His will.

Surrendering our lives to be led by God is a beautiful thing because we may experience surprises along the way. Our tendency is to have a life that is predictable because we always want to be in control. But a predictable life is actually a boring life that is not worth living. Shouldn’t we be grateful that our life isn’t entirely within our control, as this makes it more interesting? Sometimes, difficulties in our lives cause anxiety because they are beyond our control, and things may not go according to our plans. But in these moments, we have the opportunity to learn how to relate to God. If we can truly enjoy our relationship with Him, then the other circumstances of life will become secondary. Hopefully, we can ascend to a deeper and deeper union with Christ.