JesusWalk Bible Study Forum: Q1. Humble Planning - JesusWalk Bible Study Forum

Q1. (4:13-16) What danger is James warning us about in verses 13-16? How can we be humble in our planning without being indecisive and wishy-washy?

Q1. (4:13-16) What danger is James warning us about in verses 13-16? How can we be humble in our planning without being indecisive and wishy-washy?


James is warning us about our pride and boasting. About our own achievements, our own capabilities and talents. This is a very controversial subject vis a vis believers and non believers. People tend to make plans for the future education, jobs, marriage and retirement. Its natural. We have to be foresighted. But not at the cost of our Lord. We should not relegate Jesus to a corner and go about our own plans and ask Jesus for post-facto approval. That's not to be done. We have to go to the Lord with the plans and go for sanction and approval before embarking on the course of action. If the Lord agrees, then it will be a success story.

God has given us minds, knowledge, wisdom and the Bible for guidance. We have to be positive in our thinking, along the lines of the Lord. When we are sure we are doing it according to the Lord's will, there should not be any indecision on our part in doing it. It boils down to the basic of going to the Lord and depending upon His wisdom rather than our own wisdom.

without thinking i fall into that catagory with my daughter's future. preparing for it and making sure that she has all the necessary tools to go to college.(grades, community service etc.) been pushing real hard. she's even at the point of not wanting to hear anything more about it. i pray to the Lord and ask him to take the reins on my life but when it came to hers i didn't i took over not even thinking. i'm glad for today's lesson to show meand my daughter the way.he has helped up to here dispite me. thankyou Lord

This 4th chapter of James appears to be telling us that all interpersonal conflicts (wars without) stem from a lack of Godly submission and the arrogant presumptuousness self-deception that we alone control our destiny (creating a war within).

And that this is like the "double-mindedness" of seeking material gain while failing to recognize our transitory nature and total dependence upon the spiritual world, of which this present world is but a shadow.

In short, you can't pick up one end of a stick without picking up the other.

We do not act unless we feel (emotions are the fuel of our actions), yet feelings dissapate without action, and if we consistently fail to act on our feelings we will cease to feel. Faith without works is dead. Everything is interconnected, when we fail to recognize this in humility and submission to Him in which "we live, and move, and have our being;" (Acts 17:28) we find ourselves enslaved by our own self deception.

I believe James is warning us of the danger inherent in vainly seeking earthly things without spiritual application, which is a great and presumptuous sin, and the necessity of continually humbling ourselves before God in all our earthly endeavors, for this life is but a vapor that appears and vanishes away.

So how do we maintain humility without being "wishy-washy"?

It is written, "...be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might." (Eph 6:10 KJV) and "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." (Pro 3:5,6 KJV )

Q1. (4:13-16) What danger is James warning us about in verses 13-16? How can we be humble in our planning without being indecisive and wishy-washy?
James is warning us not to do thing our way but to be in the will of God in all things we do. To often we do what we think is right with out prayer and seeking to know the heart of our Lord. If we know the heart of the Lord we will be doing thing in his will.
The Lord has many blessing for us but we need to be in his will to recieve those blessings.

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[color=blue]1a.) I guess over the past several months, I have to ask myself if God has been my co-pilot or pilot in my life? There have been many times in which he has been riding shotgun. [/color]
1b.) (4:13-16) How can we be humble in our planning without being indecisive and wishy-washy?
[color=blue]1b.) Prayerful submission to my Lord and my God. Seeking God's wisdom and discernment. "[/color][color=purple]If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him[/color][color=blue]." (James 1:5) Thank you, Father. [/color]

Q1. (4:13-16) What danger is James warning us about in verses 13-16? How can we be humble in our planning without being indecisive and wishy-washy?

James is warning us about arrogance, boasting and pride which are all sinful. He is warning us that everything we do should be in God's will, not our own plans. He is warning us that our life is short, a mist that appears for a little while. We can be humble in our planning by seeking wisdom and discernment through prayer. We can be humble by evaluating our motives and making sure our plans are in line with what God wants for our life.

Q1. (4:13-16) What danger is James warning us about in verses 13-16? How can we be humble in our planning without being indecisive and wishy-washy?


What danger is James warning us about in verses 13-16?
[color=blue]Boasting[/color]
[color=blue]Ps. 5:5. . . The boastful shall not astand in Your sight[/color]

How can we be humble in our planning without being indecisive and wishy-washy?
[color=blue]keep it simple, let your yes be yes and no be no[/color]

Q1. (4:13-16) What danger is James warning us about in verses 13-16?

[color=purple]Basically we sometimes think or act like we believe that we are in control, that is by no means correct. God is on the throne and we need to remember that at all times.[/color]

How can we be humble in our planning without being indecisive and wishy-washy?

[color=purple]I think by remembering to keep God first. When God is first in our life we are nor wishy-washy nor indecisive.[/color]

Q1. (4:13-16) What danger is James warning us about in verses 13-16?

I believe James is warning us that we need to always keep God in the picture when looking to our future. If we start making plans without consulting God and without asking for His divine guidance, we're in trouble. God has great plans for us - and we need to be in tune to what He tells us to do. He may speak to us through His Word or through that 'still, small voice', but He will give us direction. We will naturally have certain gifts and talents and inborn desires to do certain things. Many of these inborn desires will be what God put in us when we were born. We need to be careful, however, to always stay in tune to Him so we don't start leading our own lives without seeking His direction. If we start going off on our own, we could find ourselves very quickly out of His will for us and away from His blessing.

Q2: How can we be humble in our planning without being indecisive and wishy-washy?

Being humble doesn't mean we need to be flakes. I think the Christian community as a whole has gotten this image of being passive and timid. We need to pursue will all our heart what He has told us to do! We are to stay on that path, working hard for Him, until He tells us to go a different direction. We can be decisive and bold, we just need to remember where our direction is coming from and stay true to all He's instructed us to do.

that we are doing good but for what. for the reward or the good of GOD. we may start out with all the good intensions and get to involved into the planning that we forget why we started it in the first place. next thing you know the planning becomes more important than anything else. now you're not even thinking of GOD anymore just achievement. then you'll realize it if paying attention when things start going wrong. STOP and talk to GOD. he'll redirect you. i recieved a good dose of that this morning.

[font="Geneva"]James warns us not to be presumptuous in making our life plans. Our times are not in our own hands, but at the disposal of the God. However, that does not mean that we should be unmoved, waiting for God's knock upon our door.

Instead, we should seek prayerful guidance in all that we do and submit ourselves to God’s will in all that we do—depending on him alone. [color=green]Seek the LORD, all you humble of the earth, who carry out what He commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility (Zep 2:3b).[/color]
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Arrogance, presumptuos, boasting and impatience.
Humility is trusting our motives and plans to God, and waiting on Him. It is submitting to the sovereign will of God for our lives.

Q1. (4:13-16) What danger is James warning us about in verses 13-16? How can we be humble in our planning without being indecisive and wishy-washy?
The danger of BOASTING about tomorrow.
Plan ahead but submit to the will of God. He may change your plans,
Accept His plans and His ways 4 u even if they disrupt your preconceived
ideas.
Isaiah 55.8-12 says:
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and return not thither, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater:
So shall my word be that goe forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing]whereto I sent it.
For you shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
Finally, rejoice in the Lord always!

James is warning us that our physical life is short and we should live it in fellowship with our LORD. We should seek His will in our lives and not plan without seeking His direction. When we pray and ask for His guidance in our lives we won't be wishy-washy.

James warns us against presumption regarding our life plans. We can be humble in our life plans by always commiting to the lord all our plans.One way of doing this is to always give a significant offering tied to the project you wish to undertake and tell someone in spiritual authority over you to pray for the success of your project. You should then move forward in confidence without procrastinating.

James is warning us about the sin of arrogance.

If we truly know God, then we know that we can depend on him for everything. All our plans, therfore should be entrusted to Him. "In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he will direct our path," should be foremost in our minds whenever we formalise our plans.

God is able and He will always give good gifts to his children. If we always ask that God's will be done in our lives, then we will never be led astray or become disappointed. His ways are always right and His timing is perfect.

Q1. (4:13-16) What danger is James warning us about in verses 13-16? How can we be humble in our planning without being indecisive and wishy-washy?

[FONT=Geneva][COLOR=purple]
James in this chapter wants us to know that we must acknowledge the LORDSHIP of GOD over our lives.
Untill some years ago i had been a victim of this situation thinking it was my intelligence, smartness and connections as a systems analyst and a christian. I got REBUKED by the LORD. All my analyses and designs did not make sense anymore to my clients and superiors.
I began to pray and I was asked one question that,"If the donkey Jesus rode on decided togo around town boasting and bragging,branding itself as the most important among all. Deciding to move between towns to show itself? But it retired immediately after that KINGLY ride''. I sat up
In chapter 4:13 i realised again that satan spoke in this manner when he tempted JESUS. He said "You do this and I will give you , I will....., I will.......".
He doesn't acknowlegde the LORDSHIP of GOD, he feels hes always ontop and in control. He doesn't put his trust in the LORD but leans on his own understanding.
I realised this by his grace, that satan does not have and cannot manifest the FRUIT of the spirit so there was no way he could humble himself. As such i decided not tobe counted among his hordes. My life begun taking a new shape.
For the LORD to say he knew me before i was formed in my mothers womd according to PSALM 139, then it means he has the blue print of my life. So i begun going to him with joy committing all my ways and plans to him.
Once its come up for discussion again, I'll certainly take the opportunity to reflect more on his word.

The LORD is good

What danger is James warning about in verses 13-16?
James is telling us that in our planning and we all need to plan we need to pray and seek God's guidance, to humble ourselves under His mighty hand for He knows the future and cares for us.

How can we be humble in our planning without being indecisive and wishy washy.
Pray first for God's guidance and when you are confident in the answer ACT!

God Bless,
Jennifer
Numbers 6:24-26

Last night as I was praying I felt God telling me I needed to make a follow up phone call. I felt Him saying He would be with me. Although I was not wanting to do this I had a couple confirmations that I should. The phone call was as bad as I thought but I believe it was necessary for me to stand up against what was being done and I was not wishy washy.

Presuming that we will be able to do things in days to come. We are not promised tomorrow, so live for today. Boasting and bragging about the control of the future. We need to show humility in speech when projecting our actions for the future. This shows our reliance on God and not our selfish, arrogant,rebellious selves and the evil in us. We must be humble and show humility in all we do and not be boastful braggards. Let our yes be yes and our no be no.