“Yet you do not even know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.”
(James 4:14)
Several of my family members have experienced sudden changes recently. One who thought her job was secure was terminated unexpectedly. Another experienced a minor stroke. One moment he was fine; the next moment he was not. Another had a baby but had to return to the hospital because of complications. There is so much in life we cannot control.
James reminded those who boasted of what they were going do in the next year that even life itself can vanish like a vapor.
When I taught world religions at Miami-Dade College, I found the doctrine of impermanence in Buddhism to be very helpful. Permanence is an illusion. Things are always changing. Even the cells in our bodies are constantly changing. We have little or no control over many of these changes. In the face of such reality, Jesus encouraged us to trust our loving Father and not to worry about what tomorrow may bring.
Dr. Sam
