The night before Jesus went to the cross, he prayed, “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine” (Lk. 22:42). That is what this week’s passage from James is about — embracing and trusting in God’s sovereign plan instead of our own. James writes to remind believers not to be self-confident but God- confident in going about life, knowing that ultimately God is sovereignly in control. This is the same message we read in the apostle Paul’s letters: “[Jesus Christ] is before all things, and in him all things hold together”(Col.1:17). A true Christ follower consciously lives life under God’s control, reaping rewards in character, mental health, and living with eternal purpose