Plans and Providence 主若愿意

[Dexu Xia]

If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.  James 4:15

In 2000, an upstart company operating on a movie-rental-by-mail system offered to sell their company for $50 million to Blockbuster, the home movies and video game rentals king at that time. Netflix had roughly 300,000 subscribers, while Blockbuster had millions and millions of them. Blockbuster passed on the opportunity to purchase their little competitor. The result? Today Netflix has more than 180 million subscribers and is worth nearly $200 billion. As for Blockbuster, well . . . it went bust. None of us can predict the future.

We’re tempted to believe that we’re in control of our lives and that our plans for the future will succeed. But James says, “You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes” (4:14). Life is brief, quick, and more fragile than we often realize. Planning is necessary, but the sin of presumption is in the assumption that we’re in control. That’s why James warns us not to “boast in [our] arrogant schemes,” for “all such boasting is evil” (v. 16).

The way to avoid this sinful practice is through grateful participation with God. Gratitude reminds us that He’s the source of every “good and perfect gift” (1:17). Then when we come to God, we ask Him not to simply bless our present and future plans but to help us join Him in what He’s doing. This is what it means to pray, “If it is the Lord’s will” (4:15).

How are you tempted to be in control of your life? What will it mean for you to surrender to God and participate with Him?

Dear Jesus, I relinquish my plans to You. Help me to put my trust in You, because You never fail. 

主若愿意，我们就可以活着，也可以做这事，或做那事。—雅各书4章15节

在2000年，一家以邮寄方式出租电影的新兴公司奈飞（Netflix），提出以五千万美元的价格将公司出售给百视达。当时，百视达提供家庭影视和电子游戏出租服务，是业界的龙头，拥有数百万到数千万订户，而奈飞不过只有大约30万的订户，于是百视达放弃收购这个小对手的机会。结果呢？奈飞至今已拥有超过1.8亿的订户，公司市值将近两千亿美元。至于百视达却已经破产了。的确，我们无人能预知未来。

我们常以为能掌控自己的人生，并相信对未来的计划将会成功。但雅各书4章14节说：“你们原来是一片云雾，出现少时就不见了。”人生短暂转瞬即逝，而且人生无常，世事难料。虽然计划是必要的，但若我们自以为能掌控一切，那我们就犯了傲慢的罪。因此，雅各提醒我们，不可夸耀自己的计划，因为“凡这样夸口都是恶的”（16节）。

避免这种罪行的方法，是以感恩的心与上帝同工。感恩能提醒我们“各样美善的恩赐和全备的赏赐”都源于上帝（1章17节）。当我们到上帝面前向祂祈求时，不仅是求祂赐福我们现在及将来的计划，更是求祂帮助我们能参与祂的工作。我们在祷告时说“主若愿意”，就是这个意思（4章15节）。

你曾用什么方法想要掌控自己的人生？
对你而言，何谓顺服上帝并与祂同工？

亲爱的耶稣，我将我的计划、恐惧及渴望都交托给祢。
我要与祢同工，而非妄自尊大，或是消极被动。
我信靠祢，因祢永远信实。