"Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth." – Proverbs 27:1
I'm doing it again.
Daydreaming about my future; imagining a never-ending journey of progress and success. Pretending like I know exactly how the weeks ahead are going to unfold. It's like I'm a screenwriter developing the story arc of my life's future events. Fresh off the printer, I hand the Lord the manuscript of what I've composed. I ask not simply for His approval of my plans, but for His blessing to make them all come to pass exactly as I've envisioned.
Perhaps you're guilty of doing something similar. For those who can relate, King Solomon has some advice for us in Proverbs 27:1.
It's amazing how easily I can lose sight of Solomon's wise words. In reality, I don't know what's going to happen ten minutes from now, much less ten years down the road. I have no idea of all the twists and turns and the highs and lows of what tomorrow may bring. Life can quickly turn on a dime. All I have to do is reflect back on my life and I'm reminded of its unpredictability.
Stop and think about your life. Would you have ever imagined all of the blessings and the battles, the gains, and the losses, the joys and the pains, the victories, and defeats of how it has all played out up until this point? Would you have scripted your life this way?
Solomon isn't just stating the obvious. Yes, life is filled with the unexpected. It doesn't take a wise man to tell us that! What Solomon is after is our attitude. He's cautioning us about being overly confident and braggadocious about what the future holds. Puffed up with pride, boasting about tomorrow is symptomatic of our inner desire for control. It's our feeble attempt to wrestle the steering wheel of life out of the Lord's hands. It's trying to remove Him out of the equation entirely and make our plans without Him.
In no subtle way, Solomon is reminding us of our ignorance of future events by trying to shift our perspective. He wants us to approach tomorrow with deep humility, not arrogance. He wants us to walk through life with wisdom and recognize that wisdom begins in "fear of the Lord" (Proverbs 9:10).
In other words, he wants us to surrender control to the One who is truly in control.
Does this mean it's wrong to plan for tomorrow, anticipate what might happen, and make adequate preparations? Not at all. It just means we write our plans in pencil, not in ink. Does this mean we can't have ambition and drive towards future goals? Absolutely not. It just means we put Him, rather than ourselves, at the center of our goals.
As you look out on the remainder of this year, embrace the fact that you don't have a crystal ball to see all of the curveballs ahead. Choose to walk in humility. Take a moment to express your trust to the One who holds all your tomorrows in His faithful hands.
