The Compass : All in the Family (part 1)
The Compass
Charting the Course for Church Growth
All in the Family
Discovering God’s Will for Your Family
James 4:13-16
Day 1
James 4:13-16 (NKJV) “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit’; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.’ But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.”
Perhaps no topic within the church today is more misunderstood than this topic, “Discovering the Will of God for Your Family”. Various writers from various theological backgrounds and differing historical perspectives have written endless books on the topic. Charles Swindoll, in his book “The Mystery of God’s Will” said this, “I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who hasn’t struggled with the desire to know God’s will. The problem is this struggle often involved a great deal of confusion and worry.”1
The good news is that God’s will does not have to be a mystery. His will is really best understood in 3 arenas: His Divine Will; that is, those things that He decreed to happen regardless of our circumstances. God decreed, for instance, that Christ would be born, that He would live, and that He would die and rise again. Nothing could thwart that plan. Then there is His Moral Will; that is, those things that we really don’t need to pray about in our lives. “Should I live honestly before all men?” “Should I be faithful to my wife?” “Should I lie about this?” These are all things that we don’t need to pray about because God has already given us the answers in His Word. But then there is the personal will of God; that is, what does God want me or my family to do. This has much more to do with the daily decisions we make. This is what we will look at this week.
The Principle: Life is, in truth, the sum total of the decisions we have made, good or bad. With that knowledge, it only makes sense to make sure we make more good decisions than bad.
Think about the Principle: Read today’s text again slowly. What principles are in the text that may be of value to you as you seek to discover God’s will for you family in today’s fast paced society?
Day 2
We Seek God’s Guidance because of the Complexity of Life.
James 4:13 “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit.’”
In this passage, James lists 5 areas in which people deal with life: scheduling, location, duration, activity, and results. Think about your life: how is it difficult to determine God’s will in these areas of your life
In this passage, we see a definite problem: the schedule is fine, but there is no mention of God. This is perhaps the most dangerous problem faced by families: there is no lack of planning; there is no lack of ideas, and there is no lack of vision. They just have factored God completely out of the equation. The problem is this: attempting to schedule your life apart from God’s guidance is a disaster.
The Principle: The Complexity of Life requires that we have God’s perspective.
Think about the Principle: Read the story of the Rich Young Ruler in Luke 12:13-20. How is his approach to life similar to the person James is talking about in this passage? How is the Rich Young Ruler similar to families living today?
When people schedule their lives without regard for God’s perspective, they may be making a living, but they are failing to live. They are gaining treasures on earth, but they are sacrificing treasures in Heaven.
Apply the Principle: Read Isaiah 55:8-9 and I Corinthians 1:25. Write some thoughts about why it is beneficial really to seek God’s guidance in every decision. Record some areas where you need to seek His guidane for your family living in a fast paced society.
Close out today’s study by writing a prayer of dedication for your family. Ask God to give you His perspective for the problems that you face on a daily basis.
Day 3
We seek God’s Guidance because of the Uncertainty of Life.
James 4:14 “Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.”
This passage really includes a problem as well as a blessing: the problem is that we do not know what tomorrow holds. The blessing is that, as believers, we do know Who holds tomorrow. The problem is that even many believers are attempting to face this fast paced world with its complexity and uncertainty without consulting the One who is the giver of life.
The Principle: Just as the Complexities of Life require God’s perpsective, the Uncertainties of Life require God’s presence.
Read the following passages and think about the blessing of God’s presence:
Proverbs 27:1, Hebrews 13:5, Hebrews 4:14-16
These passages give us the “Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mine.” Regardless of the difficulties of life, you never have to face them alone because the God of Gods, the Lord of Lords, and the King of Kings walks with you and is in you.
Think about the Principle: Read Proverbs 14:12 and Proverbs 16:25. What does it mean to you that the way that seems right to a man eventually ends in death? How does this encourage you in knowing that God is with you always?
Apply the Principle: There is no question that today’s life is more uncertain than ever before. Write some things that concern you about the future and then ask God to be present with you as you deal with them.
Day 4
We seek God’s Guidance because of the Brevity of Life
James 4:13-15 “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit’; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.’”
James gives us a great word picture in the passage for the brief nature of life. He compares life to a vapor; it is as the morning dew, it appears in the morning but as soons as the heat of the sun appears, it vanishes away.
Read Psalm 90:1-12 and think about what Moses tells us about life. What are some of the “word pictures” that Moses provides in this Psalm? What is his ultimate conclusion about how we ought to spend our lives?
Moses instructs us in verse 12 to “number our days…” The idea of numbering our days carries with it the idea of taking advantage of every opportunity that God provides you. It carries with it the responsibility of making the most of every day, so that we can gain wisdom for life. This is the ultimate key to discovering God’s will: recognize that our days are brief and so we must do as much for God as possible with the days we are given. Realize that there are only 3 things we can do with life: we can waste our life, we can spend our life or we can invest our life.
The Principle: When we recognize the Brevity of Life, we need to rely upon God’s promises.
Think about the Principle: Read Psalm 16:11. What is David’s conclusion about the true source of contentment and joy in life?
Apply the Principle: When you think about the brief nature of life, think about the things you want to do with and for your family. What are some things you want to do for God through His church?
Day 5
James 4:13-16 (NKJV) “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit’; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.’ But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.”
James closes out this passage by declaring that for us to make our plans and to make vital decisions for our lives apart from the will of God and apart from His perspective, His presence and His promise is nothing less than boasting. Why do you believe James makes that declaration? Do you agree?
What we find too often in the world today are people who have simply decided that they are going to leave God out of their lives and out of their considerations when they plan their lives. They buy houses, change jobs, divorce their spouses, raise children and relocate without ever considering what God would want them to do. Why is this such a growing problem in our society? Why don’t more people want to gain God’s perspective before they make a “decision of a lifetime”? Write down some decisions you will have to make in the near future that will require God’s perspective. Begin now asking God to give you guidance in making that decision and then look for the ways that God seems to be giving His guidance. Write your thoughts below.
Lord Jesus, we admit that we find it difficult to understand Your will. We confess that Your ways are higher than our ways and Your thoughts are higher than our thoughts. We know that the wisdom of man is foolishness to God and so we rely upon Your wisdom and guidance as we make decisions for our families. Allow us to know You and to trust that everything You do is right and good, even when we don’t understand it.
1 Charles R. Swindoll, The Mystery of God’s Will, (Nashville, TN: W. Publishing Group, 1999), Back Cover Quote.