How To Be Patient In Suffering Series

A. I like to see a show of hands: How many of you struggle with a LACK of PATIENCE?

1. I want you to answer this question aloud: What are some things that test your PATIENCE?

a. Busy TRAFFIC.

b. Long lines at Wal Mart.

c. Know-it-all people.

d. I’m just glad that no one said, “Preachers who ask the congregation too many questions.”

2. I believe that you’d agree that PATIENCE is a virtue that we all need to WORK on from time to time

ILLUSTRATION:

I read about a man in Los Angeles who was arrested for negligent DISCHARGE of a WEAPON after shooting his TOILET five times with a 38 caliber HANDGUN. He claims that he just got UPSET. He couldn’t take it any longer. His daughter had FLUSHED a HAIRBRUSH earlier in the day and CLOGGED the PIPES. So, he shot the OFFENDING TOILET. (I have no word on the TOILET’S CONDITION, but the man’s PATIENCE was long gone.)

ILLUSTRATION:

Perhaps you can relate to this story told by the late Paul Harvey:

A woman from Hershey, Pennsylvania was waiting patiently in her new Mercedes for a parking space to open up. The shopping mall was CROWDED. The woman in the Mercedes ZIGZAGGED

between rows—then up ahead she saw a man with a load of PACKAGES heading for his car.

She drove up, parked behind him and waited while he opened his TRUNK and loaded it with PACKAGES. Finally, he got into his car and BACKED out. But before the woman in the Mercedes could drive into the PARKING SPACE, a young man in a SHINY new Volkswagen Beetle ZIPPED

PAST and AROUND her and PARKED into the EMPTY SPACE, got out and started walking away.

“Hey!” shouted the woman in the Mercedes, “I’ve been waiting for that parking place!”

The college-ager responded, “Sorry, lady; that’s how it is when you’re YOUNG and QUICK.” At that instant, she put her Mercedes in GEAR, pushed in the ACCELERATOR, and CRUSHED the right rear FENDER and corner PANEL of his new CANARY YELLOW Beetle and knocked it into a

POLE.

Now the young man is jumping up and down shouting, “Lady, are you CRAZY? You can’t

do that!” The lady in the Mercedes said, “That’s how it is when you’re OLD and RICH!”

COMMENT:

If you’ve ever had someone do something SIMILAR to you, you might have a TENDENCY to CHEER for the LADY. But, quite frankly, the Godly virtue of PATIENCE was greatly lacking in both the LADY and the YOUNG MAN.

B. We often LAUGH at our IMPATIENT TIRADES, but the truth is GODLY PATIENCE is what keeps us

GROUNDED and STRONG in the FAITH.

1. In this context James is exhorting us to be PATIENT when life hands out UNJUST, UNFAIR, or

UNDESERVED treatment.

COMMENT:

Undoubtedly, in this room there are those whom have LOST JOBS, those whom have recently

ended RELATIONSHIPS, those suffering with ILLNESS, or are under great FINANCIAL STRESS.

2. Well, God through James wants to HELP by teaching us how to PATIENTLY respond to SUFFERING

-James 5:7-12 (READ).

MESSAGE:

I. NEED FOR PATIENCE

A. In these six verses James uses the word “PATIENCE” or its equivalent SIX TIMES.

1. He was writing to people who were undergoing DIFFICULTIES and PERSECUTION, and he

reminds them to be PATIENT while they WAIT . . .

a. Let’s be honest here . . . this is a lot easier SAID than DONE!

b. WAITING has probably always been a difficult VIRTUE to master, but it is particularly hard

in TODAY’S SOCIETY.

ILLUSTRATION:

The RAPID PACE culture of the 21st century and MODERN TECHNOLOGY has only intensified our IMPATIENCE: We have MOVIES and TV on DEMAND that we can WATCH whenever we’re READY. We have CELL PHONES to make and receive CALLS on the GO. We have access to HIGH SPEED INTERNET, INSTANT MESSAGING and TEXTING. And who today uses the POST OFFICE to mail a LETTER that takes two or three days to get to where you

want it to GO when you have EMAIL?

Even when it comes to COOKING, we have MICROWAVES that cooks FOOD in minutes and sometimes seconds. But, you know, I still find myself standing in front of that thing waiting IMPATIENTLY for my POPCORN to quit POPPING. WE WANT IT NOW!!!

2. Being PATIENT is difficult enough as it is, but it’s incredibly DIFFICULT for us to demonstrate

PATIENCE when we’re SUFFERING?

ILLUSTRATION:

Even PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES know this. That’s why they come out with PAIN MEDICATIONS that promise us “FAST - FAST - FAST RELIEF.”

So, during times of SUFFERING when we’re faced with SERIOUS ILLNESS, EMOTIONAL DISTRESS, PEOPLE PROBLEMS, FINANCIAL PRESSURES we want a REMEDY in a HURRY.

3. But James says, “Be patient! Endure! Persevere!” There are going to be TIMES when there’s very little we can DO . . . except . . . WAIT.