What Is Your Life?
What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. - James 4:14 ESV
The apostle James has been thinking about the practical value of a funeral. He echoes the wisdom of King Solomon, It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart (Ecclesiastes 7:2 ESV). Solomon reminds us that every life teaches a lesson, but the lesson is not recognized until life has been finished.
This means that a funeral service is often a better classroom than a wedding because at a funeral we are reminded of the reality of death. We are taught to take the reality of death to heart. James echoes this concern, asking us to think about our lives in light of the reality of death.
James asks us to consider, "What is your life?" These four words have profound weight. In other words, "what is the purpose of life?" Do we exist just to die or is there more to it? What is your life?
James quickly answers his question; life is like the morning mist. James wants us to see that life is truly short and fragile. None of us know how long we have and none of us know the impact we will have. All of us will live and all of us will die. All of our lives are like a drop of mist broken by the light of the morning.
But James isn't telling us this to drive us to despair. Rather, James hopes to give us a proper perspective. If we live for legacy, we will be disappointed; mist doesn't leave much legacy. If we live for ourselves, we will end up empty; mist loses everything it gains in a short moment. If we live for the world's approval, we will be left behind; last month's weather is replaced by better days with better sunrises. James calls us to live for more than this life.
According to James, life is found in trusting the One who gave you life. Remember the context. James is writing to keep believers from speaking and living as if we are the king of their life. But rather, we ought to speak and trust in the One who ordains all things. Verse 15 tells us, "Instead you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.'” (James 4:15)
The purpose of your life begins with recognizing the providence of God. God is the purpose giver. He causes the mist to fall and causes the plants to grow in their place. Eternity is where mist becomes meaningful and we must live in light of that. The grave isn't the end and that is why we need Jesus. Place your life in the hands of Jesus and watch Him bring life out of death.
What is your life? It is short. It is fragile. It is fleeting. But in the hands of a Sovereign God, even when the mist of the morning fades, life leaves flowers for eternity.
Only one life, 'twill soon be past, only what's done for Christ will last. - C.T. Studd