Well, good morning, church. Those of you who are here, those of you who are listening in from home,
as we worship the Lord this morning, turn with me in your Bible, if you have one, to the book of James.
James chapter 4, verses 13 to 17.
James chapter 4, verses 13 through 17.
Let me read these verses.
Come now, you who say, today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit.
Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring.
What is your life?
For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.
Instead, you ought to say, if the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.
As it is, you boast in your arrogance.
All such boasting is evil.
So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.
Some Bible passages seem to ring so obviously true in the age of COVID.
And I think this is one of them, right?
Here we have a warning directed towards people who are making plans and setting goals and anticipating results with far too much confidence.
Now if you just think over the last six months, probably all of us can identify plans that have had to be canceled, goals that have needed to be adjusted, and results that didn't come through in the way we would have expected.
And as we look ahead to the next six months, one of the few things that we can be certain of about this world is that many things will continue to be uncertain.
What's school looking like in the fall?
Well, still up in the air.
What about the job market in six months?
That's pretty unclear.
Will we see a resurgence of COVID in Connecticut this fall?
Well, maybe.
What will be the long-term effects?
Socially, politically, economically, of this pandemic that we're living through?
Well, we'll have to see how those develop, for good and bad.
We're living in a time of uncertainty.
And for many of us, uncertainty produces anxiety.
Right?
If we know what's coming down the pike, we can prepare ourselves for it.
If it's already happened, then most of the time we can somehow reconcile ourselves to what has already happened.
But when so much of what we used to take for granted is now uncertain, we can feel constantly on edge.
According to a Census Bureau study, rates of anxiety and depression in the United States have doubled since January.
And ironically, younger people, 18 to 29, have had by far the highest increase in rates of anxiety and depression,
even though younger people have by far the lowest chance of dying from COVID.
Older people, 70 and above, report only one-third the rate of anxiety and depression as younger folks.
Interesting.
Right?
Now, different ones of us are prone to feel anxiety for different reasons,
whether it's health concerns or whether it's financial stress or whether it's political turmoil
or whether it's worries for loved ones.
But the anxiety we experience is not always in proportion to the danger that we actually face.
Sometimes we can feel far more anxiety than is actually warranted.
Or sometimes we can feel no concern at all when we actually should have some serious concerns.
Now, we may not be able to control all our feelings of anxiety,
but the thing is when we let anxiety drive us,
it can either make us debilitated and paralyzed and unable to do nearly anything
except worry and worry more,
or we can become angry and volatile
because we don't like feeling anxious
and we don't like the uncertainty and we want it to go away, but it won't.
Now, it's also possible to respond to uncertainty not so much with anxiety,
but rather with arrogance.
Right?
Many people have become just fed up with all the restrictions.
And perhaps in some cases, with some warrant,
some people see that some particular restriction doesn't completely make sense,
and so they've decided,
I'm just going to do what I want to do.
I don't want anybody to tell me otherwise.
Now, of course, that attitude has often surfaces in many circumstances and times, right?
That's what James was dealing with.
In verse 13, he addresses business people
who are making confident plans to travel and trade and make money.
Now, as far as we know, they weren't,
James doesn't mention anything about plagues or pestilences,
but in the ancient world, there was always the possibility of wars,
conflicts, famines, plagues, civil unrest, economic decline.
Those are always possibilities in the ancient world,
and especially when you would travel outside of your homeland.
But, of course, these people, in verse 13, who are talking,
had a cushion to protect themselves.
They were business people.
You know, 70 to 80 percent of people in the ancient world
could not fathom traveling to a different place,
settling there for a year, starting a business there,
because they didn't have the capital to do that.
They didn't have the money to travel far, right?
They couldn't, they were people who were living at a subsistence level,
surviving day to day, right?
So these people James was speaking to were relatively well off in the ancient world.
They had enough capital, enough freedom, enough resources to consider traveling to a different city,
settling, living abroad for a year, starting their business, trading, and making a profit in the end.
Now, there's nothing wrong with any of the things they were planning to do.
There's nothing, you know, the Bible never says it's wrong to travel or live abroad or trade
or even try to make a profit, right?
All of those are legitimate human activities.
But the problem, James says, is that these people were boasting in their self-centered arrogance.
Notice that their plans are all about themselves.
There's no acknowledgement of factors beyond their control.
There's no mention of God at all.
And there's no apparent concern for other people's well-being.
They're only thinking about what I want to do and how I'm going to accomplish it.
Now, how do we face an uncertain world without falling into ungodly anxiety or ungodly arrogance?
That's the question we're dealing with this morning and that James is speaking to.
So, in this passage, what we're going to see is two truths to remember and two instructions to follow.
Two truths to remember and two instructions to follow.
So, first truth to remember we see in verse 14.
Life is unpredictable and short.
You don't know what tomorrow will bring.
What is your life?
You are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.
You know, over and over the Bible reminds us of how short and unpredictable our lives on earth are.
In the Psalms, Psalm 39, verse 5 and 6,
Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath.
Surely a man goes about as a shadow.
Surely as a breath they are in turmoil.
Or in the book of Job,
Man who is born of a woman is few of days and full of trouble.
He comes out like a flower and withers.
He flees like a shadow and continues not.
Or in the Prophets, Hosea 13, 3,
We are like the morning mist,
Like the dew that goes early away,
Like the chaff that swirls from the threshing floor,
Like smoke from a window.
Right?
All of these metaphors,
A breath,
A shadow,
A flower,
The chaff,
The dew,
The morning mist,
Smoke from a window,
Emphasize how fragile our human lives are.
We are not invincible.
We are not indestructible.
We are not ultimately in control.
Now some of us have,
Some of us like these people in verse 13,
May have resources and connections and choices
That cushion us against the bumps and bruises
That we would otherwise feel more acutely in life.
But none of those resources and connections and choices
Can save us from dying in the end.
And over and over the Bible reminds us of this fact.
Now I think during the course of this pandemic,
Pretty much everyone has been forced to acknowledge
That the first half of this verse is true.
You don't know what tomorrow will bring.
Right?
Now of course,
Some people knew that pretty well beforehand.
If you've experienced trauma,
Trauma teaches you that lesson.
You don't know what tomorrow is going to bring.
Now some of us have been sailing along pretty well
And we thought we had a good handle on life
And maybe it was hardest for us
To recognize the unpredictability of life.
But here's the question.
Have we faced not just the first half of this verse
But also the second half?
Life is not just unpredictable.
Life is short.
You are a mist, James says.
You know, there were maybe a couple of weeks in March
When it felt like many people were really grappling with their mortality
In the face of this new and mysterious virus.
You know, since then,
The world has largely moved on from that topic.
Right?
We're focused on all kinds of other things now.
Suppressing the virus,
Finding a vaccine,
Reopening the economy,
The coming election,
All kinds of other turmoil
In the world.
And these are all legitimate topics to consider and discuss.
But have we shifted our focus to all those things
That we think we can control
Or maybe at least a little bit influence
Because it's too uncomfortable to face the fact
That one day,
And it could really be any day,
Our time on earth will be done.
And we can't do a thing about it.
We are a mist that appears for a little while
And then disappears.
Have we come to terms with that?
You know, even if COVID were to completely disappear off the scene tomorrow,
Our bodies are still vulnerable to disease
And accidents and violence
And toxic chemicals and old age.
We are fragile.
And the Bible repeatedly confronts us with this truth.
First of all, just because it's true.
The Bible says a lot of things just because they're true.
Undeniably.
But the Bible also repeatedly confronts us with this truth
Because until we face this truth,
We will not be able to truly live wisely
In the time that we have.
It's only by facing this uncomfortable truth
That we can live humbly
And courageously
In the time that we do have on earth.
Moses prayed, as we heard earlier,
Teach us to number our days
That we may gain a heart of wisdom.
Now, I suspect that this is one reason
Why older people in general
Have been far less anxious and depressed
During this pandemic.
Even though they have a far greater health risk.
Many older people have grappled with their mortality.
And many younger people haven't.
But you know, the Bible's words are for all of us.
Young and old alike.
So that we all might become wise.
It doesn't happen automatically as we age.
It happens as we take to heart
The lessons that God is teaching us
Through his word
And along the way of our lives.
So life is short
And unpredictable.
That's the first truth
That James wants us to remember.
But the second truth that James
Points us to in verse 15
Is that our lives are in
The Lord's hands.
And if the first truth
Life is short and unpredictable
Is a humbling truth
The second truth
Is a reassuring truth.
Our lives are in the Lord's hands.
If the Lord wills
We will live and do this or that.
James is not just saying
James is not just
Sort of making a general acknowledgement
That life is uncertain
And we can't predict what will happen.
James is specifically reminding us
Our lives are in the hands
Of the Lord himself.
God is the one who gave us
Life and breath
In the first place.
God is the one who sustains our lives
Until our last breath.
So we're not just subject to
Circumstances we can't predict
And other people's choices
That we can't control.
The world that we live in
Is ordered by God's providence.
In other words,
The God who created all things
Holds all things together
By his power.
He's the one who holds together
The atoms and the molecules
And the tiny particles
That none of us really understand
How they work.
He holds the world together.
And yet, the Bible also says
This fallen and sinful world
Is also standing under God's judgment.
When we look at the world
And see chaos
Or lies, violence, disharmony,
Selfishness, bitterness
Those are all signs
Of the fallen and broken state
Of this world
And of God's righteous judgment.
In other words, God
Giving us over
To our selfish and foolish desires
And letting us see
Some of their harmful
And destructive effects.
And yet, the Bible says
That God not only sustains
The world in his providence
And the world is under
His righteous judgment
But it's also sustained
And kept by his steadfast love.
God has not unleashed
His judgment
Finally and completely.
He also holds us together
In his steadfast love.
He hasn't let our world
Unravel completely.
Because he's showing us
His kindness and patience
And forbearance
And calling us
To see his steadfast love
That is ultimately shown to us
In his son Jesus.
You know, we will not
Always understand
Why things happen
The way they do.
But the Bible says
We can know the one
Who holds us
And holds all things
In his hands.
Notice that here
In verse 15
James doesn't just say
If it is God's will.
Even ancient pagans
Would say things like
If the God's will.
James says
If the Lord wills.
And now sometimes
In James
The Lord
Refers to Jesus Christ himself.
Chapter 1 verse 1
And chapter 2 verse 1
Sometimes in James
The Lord refers to
God the Father
As in chapter 3 verse 9.
You see, in the Old Testament
The Lord, Yahweh
Was the personal name
Of God.
The God who makes
And keeps his promises.
The God who has come
To dwell with his people.
The God who is gracious
And merciful
Slow to anger
And abounding in love.
And that's a reassuring
And energizing truth
To know that our lives
Are in the hands
Of the Lord
Who has promised
To never leave us
Nor forsake us.
And that gives us courage
To plan and pray
And work
Because the Lord himself
Has put us here
For such a time as this
And it also gives us
Humility
It gives us freedom
To recognize
That we are not the Lord
And our choices
And our plans
Are not the last word.
Now throughout
The book of James
James echoes the wisdom
Of the Old Testament
Book of Proverbs
And he does so here
As in many other places
Proverbs encourages
Careful planning.
Proverbs 21 verse 5
Says the plans
Of the diligent
Lead to abundance.
Proverbs 20 verse 18
Says plans are established
By counsel
By wise guidance
Wage war.
Proverbs also reminds us
That whatever our plans
May be
It's only the Lord's purpose
That will prevail
In the end.
Proverbs 19 verse 21
The human mind
May devise many plans
But it is the Lord's purpose
That will be established.
Or 16.9
In their hearts
Humans plan their course
But the Lord
Establishes their steps.
And when we look
To the New Testament
We see the Apostle Paul
Putting this principle
Into practice.
Many times
To the church in Ephesus
He said
Acts 18.21
I will return to you
If God wills.
Or to the church
In Corinth he wrote
I hope to spend
Some time with you
If the Lord permits.
1 Corinthians 16.7
To the church in Rome
He wrote
I'm asking
Praying that somehow
By God's will
I may succeed
In coming to you.
Now Paul doesn't
Include this phrase
If the Lord wills
Every single time
He talks about his plans
It's not a magic word.
Right?
Sometimes, right,
We, you know,
Those of us who are parents
Teach our children
Please and thank you
And sometimes
Those are even called, right,
The magic,
What's the magic word?
Please.
Right?
But, you know,
You can say please
And thank you
Without really meaning it.
Without really having respect
And honor for the person
You're speaking to.
Right?
Those words
Are only supposed to cultivate
In us an attitude
Of respect and honor
For whoever we are dealing with.
And in the same way
This phrase
If the Lord wills
It's a good phrase to use
But it's meant to cultivate
A respect and honor
For the God
Who is sovereign
And in charge
Of all of our plans
And who oversees all things.
Right?
So whether or not
We say those words
As we're
Explicitly
As we're talking about
Our plans
All of our plans are
We're meant to be reminded
That all of our plans
Are subject to that
Subject to that provision.
So, two truths to remember
Life is short and unpredictable
Our lives are in the Lord's hands.
Now, James gives us
Two instructions to follow
That flow out of these two truths
In verse 16 and verse 17.
So, first instruction to follow
Verse 16
Don't boast in arrogance
Instead, plan with humility.
See, the major problem
That James seems to be dealing with
In these verses
Is arrogant presumption.
And this is especially
A temptation for those of us
Who, like the business people
In verse 13
Are relatively well off.
The people in verse 13
Could make travel plans
They had enough money
To move to a new city
They had enough capital
To launch a business there
They had options.
And compared to most people
In the ancient world
Nearly everyone
Not everyone
But the vast majority
Of people in America today
Have options that
Most people in the ancient world
Could never have imagined
Right?
The ability to
Get in a car
And travel
The ability to even
Get on a bus
And travel
The ability to
Move
To a new location
A new apartment
A new house
Right?
The ability to
Consider multiple options
About what
Our job might look like
Or our career might look like
Again, not everybody
Has all those options
Some people
Are just trying to survive
Day to day
Right?
Maybe you're just trying
To survive day to day
You feel like
I don't have many
Of those options
You know
But many of us
Have at least some options
And the more options
We have
The more this
Warning
The more seriously
We need to take this warning
Now
Having options
Is a gift
Right?
Having options
Is not a bad thing
It's not evil
When God put Adam and Eve
In the garden
He gave them
A wealth of options
He said
You can eat from any tree
In the garden
There are so many good options
That are open to you
And he said to them
Be fruitful and multiply
And fill the earth
He gave them a mission
And he gave them
All kinds of options
About good ways
To fulfill that
And yet what happened?
They fell into arrogant presumption
They disregarded the wealth
Of options that God
Had given them
And they arrogantly presumed
To take from the one tree
That God had prohibited
You see
Having options
Whether it's wealth
Or privilege
Or leisure time
Or the means to travel
It's a blessing from God
But it comes with this temptation
Because having options
Allows us to feel
Less directly
Dependent on God
For our every breath
Having options
Creates the temptation
To think that we are
More in control
Of our lives
Than we really are
Having options
Makes it easier
To distance ourselves
From and even ignore
The needs of
Hurting people
Around us
Now over the last six months
Many of us have had
Options removed
In fact I know
Many people who were
You know
Ready to graduate
And take a job
And the whole rug
Has gotten pulled out
Under them
Right?
All kinds of
All kinds of options
Have been suddenly
Taken away
Travel plans
You know
All kinds of things
And many of us
I think have been
Reminded to be grateful
For the simple things
The things that we used
To take for granted
Even just
Having a meal to eat
I think that during
This pandemic
God
It's like God
Has taken a bright
Yellow highlighter
To certain biblical truths
That we have far too
Long ignored
And neglected
And disobeyed
And he has said
Look
See
See what I said here
Two thousand years ago
It's still true
Proverbs 21
Or Proverbs 27
Verse 1
Don't boast about
Tomorrow
For you don't know
What a day may bring
Here's the question
Will we listen
To what God
Is saying to us
Through this pandemic
And become the wiser
For it in the long run
Or will we just
Adapt unhappily
For the short term
And then return
To our old arrogant ways
In the long term
The truths in these verses
About the shortness of life
And the sovereignty of God
Are not just true
During a pandemic
They are true at all times
And in all places
When the world feels calm
And peaceful
And happy
And when the world
Is in turmoil
And upheaval
And chaos
The truths
Remain the same
And God is reminding us
To take these truths
To heart
And to live wisely
To live courageously
And yet to live humbly
In light of them
What about right now?
What does arrogant presumption
Look like right now?
Let me suggest
A couple of things
I think arrogant presumption
Could look like
An unwillingness to admit
That your current understanding
Of the pandemic
Could be wrong
In one respect
Or another
Now
I've talked to
Many of you
And I read the news
And I've heard all kinds
Of perspectives
On this pandemic
Right?
Probably we all have
Right?
A very wide range
And guess what?
A lot of these perspectives
Directly contradict each other
And can't all be true
At the same time
Now
We can be confident
Of the things
That God has
Revealed
In his word
Because guess what?
There are many things
That the Bible has said
And the church
Has consistently taught
For 2,000 years
They're not going to change tomorrow
Christ died on the cross
For our sins
He rose up from the dead
On the third day
Jesus Christ is the same
Yesterday
Today
And forever
We can hold on
To those truths
With confidence
And they won't change
But this virus
Has been around
For less than a year
Now whatever you think
Of the virus
Or the government's
Response to it
Or society's
Response to it
Or our church's
Response to it
You and I
Might look back
5 or 10 years
Down the road
Or even 5 or 10 months
Down the road
And we might see
Some things about
This situation differently
Right?
That's at least
A strong possibility
That we will look back
And say
Huh
Well
In hindsight
I guess that looks
Sort of different
And we can't
Completely predict
What our insights
Down the road
Are going to be
So let's acknowledge
With humility
What we know
Only tentatively
And in part
Right?
We have to make decisions
Based on limited knowledge
Right?
We shouldn't just do nothing
But we have to acknowledge
What we can know
With confidence
And what we know
Only tentatively
And partially
Second
What might arrogant
Presumption look like
Right now?
Well
Very practically
Consider what are you
Hoping to accomplish
In this next year?
Right?
Like these people
In verse 13
They're talking about
Their plans
For the next year
Now it's good
To have plans
And goals
If you don't have
Any plans
And you don't
Have any goals
Then
You should start
Praying about that
And maybe talk
With somebody else
About
What are you
Intending
To do
Over this next year
How are you
Intending to grow?
Right?
But look at the
People's goals
And plans
In verse 13
It's all about
Themselves
I want to
Travel
And live
Abroad
There
I have
Ambitions
For career
And business
I want
To make
A profit
God
And other
People
Were nowhere
In the picture
Now let's
Consider our
Own plans
And goals
Are they
Centered
On ourselves
On our own
Desires
And our own
Ambitions
Is God
In the center
Of the picture
Or is God
Only on the
Periphery
Or not even
Really in the
Picture
What about
Other people
What about
Other people
Who God
Has put
Around you
Even people
Who God
Has given you
A responsibility
To love
And care for
You know
According to
The Bible
Self-actualization
Is not the
Ultimate goal
Of life
It's far
More about
Coming to
Love God
And love
Our neighbors
And be the
People that
Christ is
Making us
To be
So as you
Make plans
And goals
Think about
These questions
Practically
What are your
Spiritual goals
For the next
Year
How are you
Seeking to
Grow in the
Knowledge and
Love of
God
Now that's
Something that
No earthly
Circumstance
Can ultimately
Hinder
God's work
In us
Through his
Spirit
Second
How can
You grow
In love
For other
People
Let's say
You know
If you run
A business
Right
This passage
Is sort of
Slanted toward
People who run
Businesses
Right
Merchants
In the
Ancient
World
What does
It look
Like to
Serve your
Customers
And your
Employees
Despite the
Challenges that
The pandemic
Presents
Or if
You're a
Student
Or an
Employee
What is
How can
You love
And serve
Your fellow
Students
Your employer
And the
People that
You are
And your
Customers
People you're
Responsible to
Serve and
Care for
Have you
Submitted your
Plans and goals
To the Lord
In prayer
Right
That's a good
Place to start
Because when we
Give our plans
And goals to the
Lord in prayer
God starts to
That's one way
That God starts
To put in us
Godly desires
And godly
Ambitions
And he starts
To reshape
Things around
What he is
Wanting to do
With us
Which will
Ultimately be
Far more
Valuable
And far more
Lasting than
Just what we
Come up with
On our own
So that's the
First instruction
To follow
Don't boast
In arrogance
Instead plan
With humility
Then
Verse 17
We come to
The second
Instruction to
Follow
As we come
To the conclusion
Of this passage
Don't be
Paralyzed by
Anxiety
Instead act
With courage
Whoever knows
The right thing
To do
Or knows
The good
That he can
Do
And fails
To do it
For him
It is sin
Now on first
Glance
This saying
Might seem
To come
Out of
Nowhere
Right
It doesn't
Seem immediately
Connected to
This discussion
About plans
And goals
And if the
Lord wills
To verses
13 and 16
But it creates
An important
Balance
Right
If verses
13 through 16
Warn us
Against the danger
Of arrogance
And presumption
Verse 17
Warns us
Against the danger
Of being
Controlled
Or paralyzed
By our anxiety
You see
Sin is not
Just doing
And saying
And thinking
Things that we
Shouldn't
It's also
Failing to do
The things
That God
Has given us
To do
Proverbs
3
27
Says
Don't
Withhold
Good
From those
To whom
It is
Due
When it
Is in
Your
Power
To act
Right
Think about
What James
Has said
Already
About what
True
Faith
In
Action
Looks
Like
Visiting
Orphans
And widows
In their
Affliction
Right
Caring
For the
Most
Vulnerable
Treating
All people
Fairly
And without
Partiality
James gave
An example
In chapter
Two
If you
See a
Brother or
Sister
In Christ
Who doesn't
Have enough
Food
Or clothing
Don't
Just pray
For them
Don't
Just wish
Them well
Make sure
Their needs
Are met
Right
Whether you
Do it
Or whether
You
Sound the
Alarm bell
And get
Other people
Involved
And get
Get the
Community
Involved
In caring
For each
Other
Right
And if we
Neglect to
Do
The things
That Jesus
Has instructed
Us to
Do
That is
Also
That
Can also
Be a
Form of
Sin
Right
Not
Only
Doing the
Things
That we
Shouldn't
See I
Think today
There's a
Danger of
Arrogance
And presumption
Of acting
In selfish
And foolish
And short
Sighted
Ways
But there's
Also a
Danger of
Being paralyzed
By anxiety
And in
And in the
Process
Missing
The
Opportunities
God
Has
Given
Us
To do
Good
To the
Body
Of
Christ
And to
The
Surrounding
World
And to
Honor
His
Name
You know
So think
About what
Opportunities
Has God
Laid before
You in
This season
Now
Some of
Those
May involve
Some
Risk
And
If it
Involves
Risk
You need
To use
Your
Discernment
As we
Always
Must
About
What
Risks
Are worth
Taking
Not
Every
Risk
Is worth
Taking
And
Not
Everyone
Should
Take
The
Same
Risks
Again
In
A
Pandemic
Or
Otherwise
But
Here's
The
Thing
Sometimes
We
Hold
Back
From
Doing
Good
Not
Because
We
Thoughtfully
Assess
The
Risk
And
Discern
That
It's
Unwise
But
Simply
Because
The
Task
Is
Uncomfortable
And
Inconvenient
And
You know
I think
We
Over
The
Last
Few
Months
We've
Been
Trying
To
Navigate
This
Balance
As a
Church
Right
We
Want
To
Be
Careful
We
Don't
Want
To
Encourage
People
To
Take
Foolish
And
Unnecessary
Risks
At
The
Same
Time
We
Want
To
Be
Courageous
We
Want
To
Actively
Love
One
Another
And
Carry
Out
The
Mission
God
Has
Given
Us
Even
If
That
Is
More
Inconvenient
Than
Usual
One of
The
Resources
I
Have
Found
Most
Helpful
Over
These
Last
Few
Months
Is
A
Series
Of
Two
Articles
That
Were
Published
In
March
And
April
By
Andy
Crouch
And
His
Colleagues
They
Run
An
Organization
Called
Praxis
And
These
Articles
Are
Written
Especially
To
Business
And
Organizational
Leaders
But
I
Think
There's
Wisdom
In
Them
For
Everyone
But
Particularly
If
You're
In
A
Position
Of
Leadership
I
Would
Highly
Recommend
You
Read
These
Articles
But
Here's
A
Little
Excerpt
The
First
Article
Written
March
20
Began
This
Way
We're
Not
Going
Back
To
Normal
And
Right
Four
Months
Later
That's
Certainly
Right
The
Coronavirus
Is
Not
Just
Something
For
Leaders
To
Get
Through
For
A
Few
Days
Or
Weeks
Instead
He
Wrote
We
Need
To
Treat
COVID
19
As
A
Change
That
Is
Like
To
A
To
Perhaps
One
To
Two
Years
Or
Even
More
And
The
Article
Continues
Christians
Of
All
People
Are
Equipped
To
Face
The
Current
Reality
With
Both
Clear
Eyed
Realism
And
Unparalleled
Hope
We
Are
All
Operating
With
Profound
Uncertainty
Not
Only
About
The
Future
But
Even
About
The
Present
But
We
Have
Confidence
That
Jesus
Is
Lord
That
His
Spirit
Is
Even
Now
Working
Powerfully
In
All
Of
Our
Lives
And
That
God
Is
Good
This
Time
Can
Be
A
Moment
Of
Amazing
Creativity
Though
Also
A
Time
Of
Unavoidable
Pain
And
Loss
Many
Resources
Are
Suddenly
Unavailable
To
Us
But
The
Most
Essential
Resource
Is
Still
Available
And
The
Most
Important
Reality
Has
Not
Changed
God
Has
Called
Us
To
A
Time
Like
This
He
Has
Given
Us
A
Mission
And
A
Community
To
Serve
Alongside
And
Our
Most
Important
Resource
In
Leading
Is
Trust
In
The
Context
Of
Love
Now
He
Goes
On
To
Give
Some
Practical
Thoughtful
Instructions
About
How
Business
And
Organizational
Leaders
Can
Navigate
This
Season
But
Here's
What
He
Says
At
The
End
Of
This
Article
Which
I
Think
Is
Applicable
To
Every
One
Of
Us
And
A
Question
We
Can
All
Be
Asking
Ourselves
A
Year
From
Now
Ten
Years
From
Now
You
Will
Think
Back
And
Ask
Yourself
These
Questions
Did
I
Do
My
Very
Best
To
Act
In
That
Time
Of
Crisis
Knowing
As
Little
As
I
Did
With
The
Resources
That
I
Had
And
Did
I
Love
And
Honor
My
Family
Friends
Neighbors
Coworkers
And
Customers
He
Writes
Your
Organization
Will
Survive
This
Season
Or
It
Won't
That
Is
No
Prescription
For
Apathy
Or
Passivity
It
Is
A
Green
Light
Of
Freedom
To
Take
Action
Things
God
Will
Accomplish
His
Purposes
And
Has
Actively
Placed
You
In
Your
Position
Brothers
And
Sisters
God
Has
Brought
Us
To
Such
A
Time
As
This
By
His
Grace
May
We
Plan
With
Humility
And
May
We
Act
With
Courage
Let's
Pray
Father
Thank
You
For
These
Words
From
James
Thank
You
For
How
Direct
And
Clear
Both
His
Warnings
And
His
Encouragements
Are
Thank
You
That
You
Do
Not
Want
Us
To
Live
In
Denial
Thank
You
That
Your
Word
Confronts
Us
With
Truth
Even
When
It
Is
Uncomfortable
But
Thank
You
For
The
Reassurance
That
Our
Lives
Are
In
Your
Hands
We
Pray
That
You
Would
Enable
Us
To
Walk
With
Humility
And
With
Courage
In
This
Season
And
For
The
Rest
Of
Our
Lives
That
You
Have
Given
Us
On
This
Earth
We
Pray
All
These
Things
In
Jesus
Name
Amen