Boast in Weakness

Boast in Weakness. As we conclude James 4, James encourages us not to boast in arrogance. We do not know what tomorrow may bring, so we should never boast regarding the things to come. All such boasting is evil!

13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; 14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” 16 But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.

17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.

James 4:13-17, NKJV

Boast in Weakness - Boasting about Tomorrow

13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; 14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow.

We live in a world that is filled with commerce and trade. Running a business, whether large or small is a huge undertaking. James is addressing the business people who boasted about tomorrow. Is he saying that businesses and even all people in their personal lives should not make plans for the future? No!

Of course it is good to plan for the future, but when doing so one must always understand that God rules and works in all of our lives. We do not know the future, but God does. So, when we make those business or personal plans we must always say, "As the Lord wills, we will make our plans."

Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.”

James is saying that we need to live all of our lives with an awareness of God working and ruling in our lives. In other words, do not try to build a business without God. Even those of us who have the blessings of staying at home must always live, and move, and have our being in the Lord Jesus Christ!

Boast in Weakness - Boasting in Arrogance

What is the opposite of boasting in arrogance as though we know everything and can make our plans for the future by ourselves? The opposite of boasting in arrogance is boasting in weakness.

What are some Bible verses that encourage us to boast in weakness and not boast about tomorrow?

So the king of Israel answered and said, “Tell him, ‘Let not the one who puts on his armorboast like the one who takes it off.’ ” 1 Kings 20:11, NKJV

They utter speech, and speak insolent things; All the workers of iniquity boast in themselves. Psalm 94:4, NKJV

Do not boast about tomorrow, For you do not know what a day may bring forth. Proverbs 27:1, NKJV

But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Galatians 6:14, NKJV

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:8-10, NKJV

Boast in Weakness - Sins of Omission

Chapter 4 of James ends with a short verse: Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.

To know to do good and to not do it is called a sin of omission. God is not only concerned about the good that we do, but God is equally concerned about the things we do not do.

In these verses from James we are not only encouraged to boast only in Christ, we must also remember that we, in and of ourselves, are not able to please God perfectly. We do not boast in ourselves neither do we boast about the things we do.

Christ is all! Everything we are and hope to be is fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ. It is to Him that we go for salvation and it is to Him that we go for the daily strength to live our lives in a manner which is pleasing to God.

What an amazing God we serve. Through Christ we have joy, peace, and happiness. It is not the things of this world that will bring happiness to us; only God can grant true happiness through the Lord Jesus Christ.

God Bless You,

Linda