How to Always Do What is Right

James 4:13-17

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.

Connecting to Conflict, Pride, and Humility

James continues the theme of pride and selfish ambition from our previous study on conflict resolution. Unresolved conflict equates to murder in the heart, as Jesus taught in Matthew 5. Pride fuels this, while humility resolves it.

Verse 17—"So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin"—is often quoted in isolation, like a Good Samaritan application. But in context, it ties directly to the boasting in verses 13-16. The right thing is to reject boasting and embrace humility. This foundation unlocks applications for every circumstance: relationships, work, family, church.

James provides the framework to always do what is right, not just in isolated situations. Embrace this principle, and you gain a template for discerning the right path in any scenario.

The Destructive Boasting to Stop

James addresses those who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit." This isn't literal for everyone, but it captures the attitude: planning life autonomously, as if we control the future.

We make five-year or ten-year plans, job interviews ask where we'll be in five years, and we boast of success on our terms. This is "I'm the captain of my ship, master of my fate"—excluding God's sovereignty. All such boasting is evil (v. 16). It sets us up for wrong decisions, solving problems without God, failing to please Him or grow through trials.

Planning isn't wrong; autonomy from God is. This boasting reveals unsubmitted hearts, like dead faith in James 2—acknowledging God but not yielding to His lordship. It contradicts James 1: count trials as joy for maturity, every good gift from above. The boaster assumes blessings apart from God's benevolence.

Recognizing Our Insignificance

James asks, "What is your life?" For the autonomous planner, it's a mist that appears briefly then vanishes (v. 14). You do not know what tomorrow brings.

To stop boasting, compare yourself to God as revealed in Scripture: your life is insignificant vapor next to His eternity. Pit your frailty against His sovereignty—your lack of knowledge against His omniscience. This dismantles pride.

Life changes on a dime. A young man, genuine believer with disabilities, planned nothing extraordinary yet died suddenly in a wreck. No one knows tomorrow. Pride deceives; humility recognizes helplessness, replaced by hope in God's control—for our good and His glory.

Embracing "If the Lord Wills"

Instead, say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that" (v. 15). Not a magic phrase for every sentence, but an attitude submitting every breath, plan, and step to God's will.

Abandon autonomy entirely. Every moment is "if the Lord wills." Plans succeed or fail by His decree. Pride blocks righteousness; humility precedes it. Doing right means doing what God says is right.

Approach choices with caution: test against Scripture. Does it violate holiness? If two jobs both allow holiness, choose freely—both right. Reject shady ones, like fraudulent schemes profiting at others' expense.

In friendships or romance, give rather than get (Acts 20:35). Pour in forgiveness and holiness, received freely from God. This mindset motivates right actions always.

Applying Humility in Every Circumstance

Recognize God's awesomeness over self-perceived greatness. Offenses sting less when you're not deity on life's throne. God's reputation matters more; forgive readily, as you need forgiveness.

This foundation equips you beyond specifics—like handling flirtation or offense—to always discern and do right through humility.