What Will You Do Today? - Day 85

What Will You Do Today?

By Mike Stickler

James 4:13-16
13 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.”
14 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.
15 Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”
16 As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil.

There’s an old saying, “I never met a dying rich man who wished he had more money.” I come from a long line of entrepreneurs; it’s in the blood of my family.Starting and seeing a business become successful has been one of the greater joys within my family line. This is seductive. I’ve found, in my own life that at times, I’ve made decisions based on what the business directs me to do, not what the Holy Spirit directs me to do.

James clearly reminds us that tomorrow isn’t promised and life can quickly vanish.

The danger lies in:

• When deciding what we will do tomorrow and it appears that it will be successful, in our arrogance we boast on the success.

(As if our schemes and plans are what made that decision successful!)

• Yet when those decisions backfire, we quickly question what God is doing in the circumstance (!).

But generosity is much more than living for a profit—or even for a successful venture. Generosity is:

• ... to live outside ourselves to depend upon the guidance of the Holy Spirit to help others’ lives more bearable,
• ... to bring good news,
• ... or, as my friend, Tom Clegg says, “to introduce people to this ridiculously generous God we serve.”

Today’s Generosity Challenge:
Have you experienced your generous life being in direct conflict with your business or professional life?

List your conflicts ‒ and include solutions to bring a greater harmony between the two ‒ below. 

About Michael Stickler

Mike is an author, radio host, and a highly sought after motivational speaker. His best-selling book, A Journey to Generosity, is widely acclaimed throughout the Christian community. He is the publisher of Generous Living Magazine and writes for the Christian Post, 'A Generous Life' column.