Do not boast of tomorrow

We all make plans, we all have goals and we want to accomplish something in life, and we strive for it, and all this is well, then, the man who behaves in this way implies that he has direction and responsibility before life. But, the incorrect thing is to think about doing all this without putting it in the hands of God. There are many men in the history of humanity who have made plans without God and others have been more daring and have said: “Even God can not stop me”. Dear brother, in the following paragraphs we will see how important it is to put our plans in the hands of God.

The Theology of Planning: Vision and Purpose

Understanding our role as creators of projects requires a deep look at how divine sovereignty and human responsibility coexist. Planning is not merely a secular activity; it is a reflection of the Imago Dei (Image of God) in man. God is a God of order, a God who planned salvation before the foundation of the world. Therefore, when we sit down to trace a path for our lives, we are exercising a faculty granted by our Creator.

The Biblical Mandate for Diligence

Diligence is a recurring theme in the scriptures, especially in the book of Proverbs. We are called to be proactive, to observe the ant and learn its ways. However, diligence without spiritual submission is a recipe for internal disaster. The heart of the matter is not the plan itself, but the throne of the heart while the plan is being made. Who sits on that throne? Our ego or the Holy Spirit?

When we exclude God, we are essentially declaring our own independence. This “spiritual declaration of independence” was the root of the fall in Eden. To plan without God is to attempt to build a Tower of Babel in our daily lives—a structure intended to reach the heavens by our own strength but destined to end in confusion and scattering.

The Danger of Self-Sufficiency

Self-sufficiency is the silent killer of the spiritual life. It creeps in through success and comfort. When things go well, the human heart is prone to think: “My hand and the strength of my arm have achieved this.” This is why putting plans in God’s hands is an act of ongoing humility. It is a constant reminder that we are creatures, not the Creator. We are stewards, not the owners of our time or our talents.

In our daily walk it is very common to create expectations about our future: the career we want to build, the family we hope to raise, the projects we dream of accomplishing, or even the financial achievements we long to reach. All this, in itself, is not sinful. God has created us with the capacity to think, to work, to dream and to build. The problem arises when we begin to rely entirely on our own wisdom, as if we controlled the times and seasons. When the heart becomes proud, it forgets that everything we are and everything we hope to be depends on the sovereign hand of God. Many have climbed great heights only to fall quickly, because they never acknowledged the One who gives life and breath to all things.

The Wisdom of James: A Reality Check

The Epistle of James serves as a direct confrontation to our modern obsession with control. In a world that sells us the idea that we are “the captains of our own souls,” the Word of God brings us back to the reality of our existential limitation. We live in a tension between our desire for permanence and the reality of our transience.

The apostle James said:

13 Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.”

14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

15 Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”

James 4:13-15

The Illusion of the “Tomorrow”

The text in James 4:13 describes a very specific type of planning: it involves time (today or tomorrow), location (this or that city), duration (a year), activity (business), and results (make money). Notice that none of these things are inherently evil. The sin described here is the presumption of certainty. By omitting the phrase “If the Lord wills,” these merchants were acting as if they owned the “tomorrow.”

In the theology of grace, tomorrow is a gift, not a right. When we plan our business or our personal lives without acknowledging God’s veto power, we are practicing a form of practical atheism. We may believe in God in our heads, but we live as if He doesn’t exist in our calendars.

Life as a Mist: Embracing Our Fragility

The metaphor of the mist (or vapor) is profound. Mist is visible, it has presence, but it lacks substance and permanence. It can be dissipated by a single gust of wind or the rising sun. Understanding this is not meant to make us depressed, but to make us dependent. Fragility is the soil where deep faith grows. If we were invincible, we would never seek God. If we were immortal on our own terms, we would never value the eternity offered through Christ.

The apostle points us to a great truth: life is fragile. Life is uncertain. Life is fleeting. We plan for months and years ahead, but we do not even control the next hour. James compares life to mist — it rises for a moment, shines briefly under the sun, and suddenly disappears. And this is why making plans without God is considered arrogance. Not because planning is bad, but because acting as if we were sovereign is a dangerous illusion. We can prepare, calculate, work and strategize, but only God knows whether we will see tomorrow. And if the One who controls all things is ignored, then our confidence is built on sand.

The Sovereignty of God Over Human Frailty

When we speak of divine sovereignty, we are referring to God’s absolute right and power to govern His creation according to His own purposes. This is not a cold or distant sovereignty, but the care of a loving Father who knows what we need before we even ask. However, this sovereignty also includes His providential timing, which often differs from our own.

The Metaphor of the Ant and the Wind

The comparison of human life to an ant or the waves of the wind helps us visualize our smallness in the grand scale of the universe. An ant is busy, focused, and carries weights many times its own size. It has “plans” to reach the colony. But it is oblivious to the giant world around it that can change its destiny in a second. Similarly, man is busy with his “important” affairs, forgetting that his very heartbeat is sustained by a divine decree.

The truth is that our lives are in the hands of God, we do not know when we will leave this earth. Life is like the waves of the wind, at the moment they are here and they end up vanishing, the life of man is like that of an ant, which goes on its way and suddenly it is stepped on by anything and that’s where its life ended. The same happens with us, we are born but we do not know when our life is going to end and that is why we should not boast about tomorrow, we should not make plans without thinking about God, without giving thanks for our achievements. Every breath is a gift. Every open door is grace. Every victory is mercy. And when we learn to live with that awareness, our hearts become more humble and our steps more secure.

Gratitude as a Spiritual Compass

Gratitude is the natural result of recognizing God’s hand in our plans. A person who plans with God is a person who gives thanks for the “No” as much as for the “Yes.” Sometimes, the greatest mercy of God is frustrating a plan that would have led us away from His presence. When we give thanks for our achievements, we are essentially returning the glory to its rightful owner. This prevents the heart from becoming calloused by pride and keeps us sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit.

The Condition of the Believer: “Deo Volente”

The phrase “Deo Volente” (God willing) should be more than a religious cliché; it should be the foundational philosophy of our existence. To say “If the Lord wills” is to acknowledge that our plans are always subject to divine revision. It is an act of surrender that frees us from the anxiety of having to control everything.

I believe that in the life of each believer each phrase must be accompanied by a: “If the Lord wants, we will live and we will do this or that”. That is what it is about beloved brothers, and it is as the Apostle Paul said:

If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.

Romans 14:8

Belonging: The Foundation of Peace

Paul’s statement in Romans 14:8 takes the concept of submission to God to its ultimate conclusion. If our very life and death belong to Him, then the “middle part”—our plans, careers, and daily decisions—must also be under His jurisdiction. This “belonging” is what provides us with ultimate security. If I belong to the Lord, then nothing can happen to me that has not first passed through His hands of love.

This perspective changes how we handle failure and success. If a plan succeeds, it is for His glory. If a plan fails, it is within His providence. We are no longer slaves to the outcome, but servants of the Master. This is the secret to true Christian contentment: knowing that our identity is not in our accomplishments, but in our belonging to Christ.

The Synergy of Faith and Effort

What a comforting truth! Whether in life or in death, we belong to Him. And if we belong to Him, then our plans, our decisions, our dreams and our future must also belong to Him. Putting our plans in His hands does not mean renouncing effort or responsibility—it means recognizing the One who opens and closes doors. It means trusting His wisdom when ours is insufficient. It means submitting our desires to His perfect will, knowing that God’s plans are always higher and better than ours.

Trusting When the Path is Unclear

There are seasons where God’s will seems to contradict our logic. We may have a “good” plan—a ministry, a help for the family, a healthy goal—and yet, the door remains shut. In those moments, submitting to His will is most difficult but most necessary. We must remember that God sees the end from the beginning. His “No” today might be a “Yes” to something much greater tomorrow, or simply a protection from a hidden danger. Trusting His wisdom means believing that His character is good even when His providence is mysterious.

Walking in the Blessing of Jesus Christ

A life blessed in the Lord is not necessarily a life without problems, but a life without solitude in the struggle. When we include Jesus in our planning, we are inviting the Counselor, the Prince of Peace, to walk beside us. This turns every project into an act of worship.

The Practicality of Prayer in Planning

How do we practically put our plans in God’s hands? It begins with prayerful inquiry. Instead of coming to God with a finished plan asking for His “rubber stamp” of approval, we should come with a blank page. “Lord, what do You want me to do with the resources, time, and talents You have given me?”

This is followed by active dependence. It is working hard as if it all depended on us, but praying and trusting as if it all depended on God. This balance prevents both laziness and burnout. We work with excellence because we do it for the King, but we rest with ease because the results are in His hands.

The Fruit of a Surrendered Future

When we surrender our future, we experience a transcendent peace that the world cannot understand. The pressure to “make things happen” disappears. We no longer have to manipulate people or circumstances to get our way. We can be honest, ethical, and patient, knowing that if God wants a door to open, no man can shut it.

Let us live for the glory of God and put all our plans in the hands of God and I assure you that in this way we will have a life blessed in the Lord Jesus Christ. When our hearts rest in His sovereignty, we walk in peace. When we surrender our future to Him, we walk in confidence. And when we acknowledge Him in all our ways, He will direct our paths. May every decision we make begin with prayer, continue with dependence, and end with gratitude. To God be the glory for our present and for our future.

Conclusion: A Call to Daily Surrender

In summary, planning with God is the highest form of wisdom available to man. It acknowledges our limitations while tapping into the infinite resources of Heaven. It turns our goals into missions and our work into a ministry. As you move forward today, look at your “to-do list” and your long-term goals. Invite the Holy Spirit into each line. Ask Him to purify your motives and to align your desires with His heart.

Remember that He is the Alpha and the Omega. He is already in your future, preparing the way. Your responsibility is to be faithful in the present, humble in your successes, and resilient in your setbacks, always anchored in the truth that He is in control. Let your life be a testament to the peace that comes from knowing that your destiny is held by the same hands that were pierced for your salvation. To Him be all the honor and power forevermore.