Good day, brother Jeff.<\/p>\n
I encountered a weird question about holding a celebration in advance (e.g., a pre-birthday, pre-anniversary, or pre-going away party). A sister said we shouldn’t do this because we’re attempting to be a step ahead of God when we do not know what will happen tomorrow (James 4:14).<\/p>\n
I understand her query as saying to let things unfold on their own. If your birthday comes, let it be because the One who holds the future is God, and we have no control over our tomorrow. We shouldn’t seize the initiative; let God instead.<\/p>\n
I’d like to tell her that God is indeed in control of the future, but I don’t think it’s wrong to make plans for the future. But then I realized that may not be the answer she was looking for. I tried thinking of an event in the Bible that someone made a plan ahead of the Lord and it was approved, but I can’t think of any.<\/p>\n
Does this sister have a point? How should I answer this?<\/p>\n\t
Interestingly, Jesus celebrated the Passover before the actual feast day. The last supper was eaten on the day of preparation (Mark 14:12; Matthew 26:17; Luke 22:7), not on the Passover. Jesus tells us why. “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I shall never again eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God<\/em>” (Luke 22:15-16). Jesus wouldn’t be around for the Passover, but he wanted to enjoy the celebration with his disciples before his death.<\/p>\n Perhaps an objection would be raised about this example because Jesus is God and, thus, has control over future events. However, the example tells me that it isn’t wrong to schedule celebrations in advance. Such are often done because not everyone can attend the actual event, yet they still want to participate in the celebration. It isn’t an attempt to get ahead of an event or to somehow force the event to happen.<\/p>\n The future belongs to God, but we are still told to make our plans. “The mind of man plans his way, but the LORD directs his steps<\/em>” (Proverbs 16:9). We simply acknowledge that anything we plan may be overridden by God.<\/p>\n\t Thank you so much for the insightful answer, brother Jeffrey!<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Question: Good day, brother Jeff. I encountered a weird question about holding a celebration in advance (e.g., a pre-birthday, pre-anniversary, or pre-going away party). A sister said we shouldn’t do this because we’re attempting to be a step ahead of God when we do not know what will happen tomorrow (James 4:14). I understand her…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[20],"tags":[403,866],"class_list":["post-67887","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-answer","tag-control","tag-foreknowledge"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":67891,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/could-the-lords-supper-be-taken-in-advance\/","url_meta":{"origin":67887,"position":0},"title":"Could the Lord’s Supper be taken in advance?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 2, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hello, brethren in Christ, I want to ask a question regarding this matter. Based on the example given in \"Is it wrong to hold a celebration in advance of an event?\", which is the Passover, is it okay if we also partake in the bread and cup in advance?\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":15684,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/did-my-girlfriend-and-i-sin-by-trying-foreplay-even-though-we-will-be-married-next-year\/","url_meta":{"origin":67887,"position":1},"title":"Did my girlfriend and I sin by trying foreplay even though we will be married next year?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 8, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hello, I and my girlfriend tried foreplay a couple of times, but we have not had sex. She is not just my girlfriend, she is almost my wife. I will marry her next year; this will surely happen. Also, I didn't have any sexual experiences before. I have gone\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":66333,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-not-taking-gods-name-in-vain-just-about-swearing\/","url_meta":{"origin":67887,"position":2},"title":"Is not taking God’s name in vain just about swearing?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 3, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I also would like to ask if you think this commandment refers only to oaths or if it may refer to saying the name of God without purpose, like \"God willing...\" without God in mind. Thanks in advance! God bless your work. Answer: This particular commandment is focused on\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":16789,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/does-god-exist-outside-of-time-and-sees-all-of-time-at-once\/","url_meta":{"origin":67887,"position":3},"title":"Does God exist outside of time and sees all of time at once?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 9, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: First, I wanted to thank you for the web site.\u00a0 I come here often whenever I find that I have a problem that needs addressing.\u00a0Anyway, on to my question. Lately, I've been wondering about something after something my preacher told me.\u00a0 He once told me that God is not\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":25159,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/are-prenuptial-agreements-biblical\/","url_meta":{"origin":67887,"position":4},"title":"Are prenuptial agreements biblical?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 7, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: What is or is not biblical regarding a pre-marital agreement for handling money and possessions in the event of a separation or divorce? Answer: \"And He answered and said to them, \"Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning 'made them male and female,' and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":20787,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/is-it-wrong-to-be-a-christian-and-still-fear-death\/","url_meta":{"origin":67887,"position":5},"title":"Is it wrong to be a Christian and still fear death?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 10, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Is it wrong to be a Christian and still fear death? I truly feel like I live my life fully for the Lord, but I think about death often and it scares me. 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