Thursday, April 30, 2009

cocky or confident?...

james 4 the beginning of verse 13 (ms), and now i have a word for you who brashly announce...

now how does that come across to you? i have a word for you who brashly announce.

what i see in this is two different attitudes. the first is confidence, i have a word for you and the second is cockiness, you who brashly announce. and you might ask is there a difference between the two?

cal thomas a syndicated columnist says there is in an article he wrote called the confidence factor. here is what he said, "there is a difference between cockiness and confidence. the one is a character flaw in prideful men, and pride, as the proverb warns, goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall (proverbs 16.18). the other is an essential ingredient in a leader who not only believes in himself and the worth of his ideas but also that the people he leads will follow him if they know where he is going and why he wants to take us there."

if we are going to make a difference in this world we need confidence, not cockiness.

now the rest of verse 13 (ms) says, and now i have a word for you who brashly announce, "today—at the latest, tomorrow—we're off to such and such a city for the year. we're going to start a business and make a lot of money."

you could kind of see this as a business plan of some leader, a person looking and planning for his future. now james is not condemning that. no, he is condemning the source of the planning.

why is james confident enough to say, and now i have a word for you? it's because of where the word came from. the source of his word is GOD. and those who brashly announce, their source comes from a person who believes only in himself and no one else.

so who do you want to be? a person whose source is someone who is out in the future preparing the way and that is GOD or is someone who cannot see one second into their future and that is you and me.

now understand that planning is not the problem. the book of proverbs says over and over again that if i don't plan i'm a fool. it's wise to plan. he's not talking about planning; he's talking about planning without GOD and that is presumption.

there is nothing wrong with having a business plan, the problem is having a business plan without GOD.

listen, you and i can be a believer and still forget GOD in our daily lives. i know a lot of people who love the LORD with all their heart but when it comes to planning their business or career or their school education or the one they will marry they are practical atheists.

it's sad to meet someone who says, "i don't believe in GOD. i don't believe HE exists." it's sadder to find somebody who says, "i believe in GOD. i believe HE exists" but then acts like HE doesn't exist. he or she doesn't make any plans involving the LORD. they just go off on their own as if it all depends on them.

you say, "i believe in GOD." does HE have a say in your business? "i don't believe in mixing business and faith." listen, all business is GOD's business if you're a believer. don't be cocky and plan without GOD. that's presumption and it is practical atheism. but be confident, with faith, plan with GOD.

just some thoughts from the front porch...

2 comments:

Jacquie said...

Good stuff Bill...Thank you! You need to write a book please!

Bill Williams said...

thanks jac, now what was it you wanted from me?