The human heart is naturally self-confident and makes numerous assumptions about life. James, using the picture of merchants confidently making their business plans, confronts and challenges the pride and self-confidence of the human heart. He asks a simple but profound question -What is your life--. He urges his readers to depend on and to humble themselves before God. If we do so He promises to lift us up to a new life of living in -The Will of God- and depending only on Him.