Patience is a hard lesson. In the fast-paced world of fast-food, bullet trains, express lanes, quick fixes, the young and old, rich & poor often seek instant gratification, short-cut to success, easier and faster means to achieve and arrive places.
To be patient means different things to different people. James wrote what is patience about.
James 5
7 Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. 8 You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.
Patiently wait: be patient like the farmer waiting for the harvest, he plants, he waters, but most of all, he waits. What are we told to be patient for? The coming of the Lord… truly, Christians should long for the coming of the Lord. But do we not wish for His return sooner – so we could get out of the hard circumstances we are in? James taught us to be patient – to strengthen our hearts in waiting.
9 Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door.
Patiently forgive – be patient and judge not, we need to stop complaining about and against one another. We fret and we are upset about injustice; how come the bad people are not being punished, about how we are wronged. How about pondering have we wronged others? Let us not judge lest we be judged. Let us wait for the Judge – who is nearer than we think Him to be.
10 As an example, brethren, of suffering and patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.
Patient to endure – Patience and suffering go together. It is difficult to wait amidst trials. We must look to the prophets, to holy men of old… how their patient endurance brought blessings – not only for themselves but for all those who came after them.
Lessons:
1) To be patient is to wait expectantly for the coming of Jesus Christ. This is our hope. We wait patiently in hope of the good to come – like the farmer waits for the harvest.
2) To be patient is to wait peacefully for God’s judgement. This is our peace. We fret not but wait upon the Judge to vindicate.
3) To be patient is to endure sufferings. This is our faith. We wait faithfully that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful. We remember how the Lord blessed those who wait on Him when life is hard.
