Life is a vapour
James 4:13-17
Time is a funny thing, isn’t it? In small chunks it can move slowly. For the high-schooler in English class, or for the mother with the crying baby, or for the guy who can’t sleep, time can move at an excruciatingly slow pace.
Yet time in chunks can move seemingly at the speed of light. We utter such things in amazement like: “Where did the summer go?” How they grow up so fast!” and “So when did mullets go out of fashion?”
James has connected several important thoughts. He has gone from a wrong view of ourselves, to a right view of God. This in turn will affect how we speak to others, and it will also affect how we live out our lives, which is today’s idea.
(Jas 4:13) Go to now, ye that say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:
James is not aiming this at the normal activities of life, but rather an attitude of independence away from God.
Early on in the church, there would have been great economic hardship due to persecution. But as time got on, and things settled down businessmen were able to get back to business.
This can have an effect on our spiritual lives. During hard times, we tend to really depend on God, and during easy times we depend on ourselves, and this is what James is aiming at.
God is not against planning, nor thinking ahead. In fact he gives us the example of the ant, and commends its ability to plan for the future. Proverbs 6:6-8
What James is against is us having the attitude of “This is what I’m going to do, God’s will be darned.”
He’s against a life of practical atheism.
The source of this type of lifestyle is selfish pride. (Jas 4:16) But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.
When we say or think or do such things as: “I do what I want,” “Nobody’s going to tell me what to do!” we are then boasting about our ability for independence away from God and James calls this evil.
Doesn’t this sound childish? We cringe when kids say such immature things as “You’re not my real dad!” but by our actions we are crying out to God, “You’re not the boss of me.”
James gives us an excellent reason why we need to change our attitude about this.
(Jas 4:14) Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.
“The metaphor he gives for our life is that of steam. We can see the steam rise from the kettle, and within moments it’s gone again. This aptly describes the brevity of our life.”
The metaphor he gives for our life is that of steam. We can see the steam rise from the kettle, and within moments it’s gone again. This aptly describes the brevity of our life.
Simply put, life is uncertain and because life is so short, we should consult the One who is eternal.
May each one of us submit our wills and ways to our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.