How Are You Living Your Life??

This was the title to my Pastor's sermon on Sunday. I like to go back over the verses that he preached on and look at them and read the rest of the chapter as part of my quiet time. Here is the verses he preached on.

James 4: 13-17(NIV)--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." 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. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins.

And since I couldn't have said it better. Here is the notes out my dh's Life Application NIV Bible on the above verses--It is good to have goals, but goals will disappoint us if we leave God out of them. There is no point in making plans as though God does not exist, because the future is in his hands. What would you like to be doing ten years from now? One year from now? Tomorrow? How will you react if God steps in and rearranges your plans? Plan ahead, but hold your plans loosely. Put God's desires at the center of your planning; he will never disappoint you. Life is short no matter how many years we live. Don't be deceived into thinking that you have lots of remaining time to live for Christ, to enjoy your loved ones, or to do what you know you should. Live for God today! Then no matter when your life ends, you will have fulfilled God's plan for you. We tend to think that doing wrong is sin. But James tells us that sin is also not doing right. (These two kinds of sin are sometimes called sins of commission and sins of omission.) It is a sin to lie; it can also be a sin to know the truth and not tell it. It is a sin to speak evil of someone; it is also a sin to avoid him or her when you know he or she needs your friendship. We should be willing to help as the Holy Spirit guides us. If God has directed you to do a kind act, to render a service or to restore a relationship, do it. You will experience a renewed and refreshed vitality to your Christian faith.

What a challenge for this homeschooling mom! I find that plan and plan and plan and then I presume/expect that everyone around me will follow those plans to the letter! So when someone(including God) comes along and changes those plans it doesn't make me a very happy person. I also find that I make plans to spend time with Him during the day and then never seem to get to those plans. How can the Lord direct and guide me in my life when I am giving Him the leftovers!??