Today is another day where Jaems feels like Proverbs. James talks to us about two things: judging others and making plans for the future. In both of these, his message is this. You are not God. How can you judge? You are not the lawgiver. Only God is the lawgiver. Judging is His domain, not ours. Likewise, how can you say what tomorrow will hold? Only God can do that. This perspective gives us peace; it helps us. It is not all up to us. It is up to God. We just need to be faithful and trust in God for all the rest.

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Good morning! It’s great to be with you on this Friday morning. I hope you’ve had a great week. Mine has been good—a mix of rest and time spent with friends earlier this week, followed by getting back into the office and working on church-related things.

We’re continuing our journey through James, reading the end of chapter three. James only has a few sections left, so we may actually finish it early next week. After that, we’ll likely move back to the Old Testament, since we’ve been in Galatians and James for a while now.

Today, we’re looking at James 4:11-17. These sections fit well together, offering a perspective on judgment and humility. James reminds us not to speak against one another or judge each other because there is only one true judge. It is so tempting to judge others—we all do it. But James calls us to remember that we are not God. One of my mentors used to say, “The world has a Savior, and it’s not me or you.” Our job is not to judge but to love, guide, and point others to Christ.

We live in a world full of judgment. We judge others, and we are judged in return. But when we truly understand our place—that we are not the ultimate authority—it frees us from that burden. God will take care of what is right and just; our role is to be salt and light in the world.

The second section speaks about making plans. James warns us against assuming we control the future. Life is brief, like a mist that vanishes. Instead of making bold claims about what we will do tomorrow, we should say, “If the Lord wills, we will do this or that.”

This isn’t a call to be careless or unprepared—Jesus Himself encourages planning. But it is a reminder that we are not in control. We don’t know what tomorrow holds, and that should lead us to trust in God’s plans rather than our own pride. Proverbs tells us, “Pride goes before the fall,” and James reinforces this truth.

When we recognize who we are and who God is, there is a great sense of freedom. If I had to be perfect, if I had to have all the answers, that would be overwhelming. But when I trust that God is in control, I can live fully today, knowing that tomorrow is in His hands.

So let’s release the need to judge, the need to control, and instead trust in God’s wisdom and timing. Live each day to the fullest, knowing that we are in His care.

Thanks for joining me today! Have a great weekend, and I’ll see you Monday as we pick up with chapter five and finish out James next week.