James 4:13 Meaning: Is It Wrong to Plan for the Future?
Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow let’s go into this city and spend a year there, trade, and make a profit.”
Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:
Come now, ye that say, To-day or to-morrow we will go into this city, and spend a year there, and trade, and get gain:
Go, now, ye who are saying, `To-day and to-morrow we will go on to such a city, and will pass there one year, and traffic, and make gain;'
Go to now, ye who say, To-day or to-morrow will we go into such a city and spend a year there, and traffic and make gain,
Meaning in one sentence
James 4:13 warns against boasting about tomorrow. Learn the difference between godly planning and presumptuous planning in this devotional.
Context
In the fourth chapter of his letter, James challenges believers whose lives look more like the world than the kingdom. After warning against speaking evil of one another, he turns to confront a different kind of pride: the confident way people talk about their future plans. He quotes the sort of thing merchants might say, travel to a city, spend a year, trade, make a profit. The words sound practical, even innocent. But James hears something else: an assumption that tomorrow is guaranteed, that success is certain, and that God has no place in the conversation. The verses that follow will remind readers that life is brief, like a morning mist, and that only the Lord knows what each day will bring.
Key Words
Three Greek words catch the attitude James is confronting. First, Age nun, 'Come now.' It is a sharp call to attention, abrupt and direct. James is not gently suggesting; he is trying to pull his readers out of a dream. The same phrase opens his warning to the rich in the next chapter.
Then comes poreusometha, 'we will go.' It is a future indicative, not a subjunctive that says 'let us go.' The grammar itself assumes the decision is already settled. The heart behind it has forgotten that every step depends on God.
Finally, emporeusometha, 'we will trade.' The root gives us our English word 'emporium.' It means to travel for business, to buy and sell for gain. There is nothing wicked about commerce. But notice how the little Greek word kai (and) strings the clauses together breathlessly: go and stay and trade and profit. There is no pause for God anywhere in the sentence.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christian commentators across traditions hear the same warning in this verse, though they emphasize different angles. Reformed writers like Calvin say the sin is not the form of speaking but 'the arrogance of mind' that forgets human weakness. Anglican and Methodist scholars point to the connection with Jesus' parable of the rich fool (Luke 12:16-21), where a man stored up goods without being rich toward God. Baptist expositors like Gill are careful to note that James does not condemn trade or planning, he condemns the spirit that makes plans without consulting God and without acknowledging life's uncertainty. Across these traditions, the core agreement holds: the problem is not having plans, but having a heart that assumes control over tomorrow.
A common misunderstanding
Some readers think this verse forbids making any definite plans at all. In fact, James is not against planning, he is against the pride that forgets life is short and that God is sovereign. The issue is the heart that says 'I will' without considering 'if the Lord wills.' Even Paul made plans (Acts 19:21), but he held them in submission to God. The sin is not the calendar; it is the boasting.
Living This Out
This week, you might find yourself mapping out the months ahead, a job change, a family visit, a financial goal. James does not tell you to stop planning. He invites you to plan differently. Before you set the date or run the numbers, pause and remember: your life is a mist. That sounds heavy, but it can actually free you. It takes the weight off your shoulders. You do not have to control tomorrow. You can make your plans, but hold them lightly, with a heart that says, 'If the Lord wills.' That simple turn, from 'I will' to 'if He will', changes everything. It turns planning from an act of pride into an act of trust.
Main takeaway: Plan with open hands, remembering that life is a vapor and every tomorrow belongs to God.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Do you ever make big plans? Maybe you want to go to the park tomorrow or build a tall tower with your blocks. That is okay, but remember that God knows what tomorrow will be like. You can ask Him to be with you in whatever you do.
For ages 9, 12
When you make plans with friends or think ahead to next week, it is easy to feel certain about what will happen. James reminds us that we do not actually know what tomorrow will bring. Our life is like a puff of steam that appears and then disappears. That does not mean we should never plan, it means we should stay humble and trust God with the future. Before you promise something, you can whisper, 'If God wants me to, I will do it.' It is a small habit that changes how you see every day.
Questions People Ask
Does James 4:13 forbid making any plans?
No, James is not prohibiting planning itself. He is confronting the boastful attitude that assumes control over the future and forgets God. Planning is wise, but planning with a prideful heart that leaves God out is what James warns against. The next verse makes the correction: 'If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.'
What does 'if the Lord wills' mean in James 4:15?
It is an expression of humble dependence on God. It does not have to be said out loud every time you make a plan, but it should reflect the real posture of your heart. The phrase acknowledges that your life and your plans are subject to God's sovereign will. Even if you do not say the exact words, the attitude behind them matters.
Is it wrong for Christians to want to make money or be successful in business?
Not at all. The Bible affirms honest work and trade. The problem in James 4:13 is that the speaker talks as if profit is guaranteed and as if God has no part in the outcome. The heart of the issue is not money but pride. You can pursue business goals with gratitude and trust, holding your plans loosely before God.
How does this verse connect to Proverbs 27:1?
Proverbs 27:1 says, 'Don't boast about tomorrow; for you don't know what a day may bring.' James is applying that same wisdom in a New Testament context. Both passages call for humility about the future and for a realistic awareness that life is uncertain. Together they form a consistent biblical theme: trust God, not your own foresight.
For pastors & researchers
Greek interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study