Re:Verse passage – James 4:13-17 (day four)
Pride assumes that we are in control of the directions and events of our lives, much like the temptation in the Garden…’you can be like God.’ We would never state out loud that this was our intent, but we often act it out in reality. For us to make our own plans and then move forward with the expectation that God will bless our tactics is the height of pride. James says that when we know what is right and then don’t do it, we are sinning.
We have expectations in our lives. We expect to live as long as our parents…assuming they lived to an advanced age. We expect to work until we retire and then have enough money to live comfortably for the remaining years. We expect to make our own decisions about our own lives. But…there is nothing like a near fatal accident, or disease, or event to make us recognize we have no control over our lives. Realization of our own mortality can bring home the truth of our full and complete dependence upon God.
