In the musical Fiddler on the Roof, the persecuted Jewish villagers of Anatevka are forced to flee the Russian pogroms. Someone asked the Rabbi, “Wouldn’t this be a good time for the Messiah to come?” The Rabbi answered, “Yes, my son; meanwhile, let’s get packing!” In the Lord’s Prayer we pray: “Thy will be done.” Patience reveals our trust in God’s timing, power, providence, and love. It’s a virtue that carries a lot of wait!
James urges us to be patient as we wait for Christ’s return, in verse 7. Some preachers act like Jesus is coming next week, a presumptuous dogma I’ve heard since the 1960’s. One confidently said we won’t see the 1970’s. We don’t know when He’s coming back. We’re not on the planning committee; we’re on the welcoming committee! God is in control of history. Our job is to be watching, patiently waiting, and ready for whatever happens.
James gives the example of farmers. If you’re impatient, you probably shouldn’t be a farmer! A farmer’s life is governed by a rhythm of working and waiting. However, patience doesn’t mean inaction. While waiting, there’s work to be done. Farmers can be patient because their crop is valuable. Farming takes faith, because in spite of all human effort, there is much that is out of a farmer’s control. To cultivate the Fruit of the Spirit we need be like farmers. We need to grow the gospel way of life. However healthy the crop, it has to be looked after. We do our part and God does His. He is producing a harvest in us; He will satisfy our needs, and our lives will be fruitful--in His time--and often through trials and temptations.
The return of our Lord promises reward. We’ve planted and prayed. The harvest will come when Jesus comes…then we will receive the fruit of our labor. Back when James wrote, if you wanted corn for dinner, you had to plant it and wait. In this day of instant gratification, we stop by the supermarket and pick some up. But for some things in life we have to wait…and they’re worth waiting for.
It’s been said, “Don’t judge God by His unfinished work” (F.B. Meyer). God’s not done with us. His way is seldom the quick way, but it is always the complete way. God may seem slow, yet He’s never late. Patience involves “living with the unexplained, trusting in the fact that God is love, not in our ability to figure out why--in the midst of smashed hopes, reversal, tragedy” (Pamela Reeve). “True patience is waiting without worrying” (Swindoll).
There are two Greek words for patience in the New Testament. Both are military terms that deal with the battles we face in life. The King James Version translates one of them as “long-suffering.” The word means to keep our impulses in check. The other word means to “bear up under burdens and stand firm.” Both involve waiting and enduring while afflicted--grace under fire.
The Hebrew word for patience means “slow to anger.” We persevere through the frustrations of life, something difficult to do and precious when attained. Impatient people tend to be angry people. While patient people may be tempted to rant and rave, they are able to control their temper and wait upon God in silence and peace. They are patient with the faults of others, knowing that others have to be patient with them. We can’t control what people say or do, but we can control how we react to them. Patience helps us to more effectively communicate--to go beyond what is said to what is meant--which goes a long way in resolving conflict.
James assures us that the coming of the Lord is “near,” verse 8. Maybe not as quickly as we’d like, but it is approaching. Jesus is right outside the door; His imminent arrival could occur at any time. In the meantime, we’re to “stand firm”; a more exact translation is “strengthen your hearts” (NASB). When we’re established in our faith we will persevere with resolute firmness. But perseverance is never instantaneous. It requires the ability to be calm amid adversity. Some people have trained their dogs to stand patiently, with a doggie treat balanced on their nose, waiting for the go-ahead to eat it. I like how they get it before it hits the ground! These dogs have more patience and self-control than most of us.
We’re told to wait till Jesus returns. Every day needs to be lived as if it were the last day, with courage and conviction and devotion to biblical truth. We’re to be patient even if it takes to the very last day! Many messy things in this life don’t get neatly resolved, but God never wastes suffering; He will use our trials for our good and His glory. At the End of Days Jesus will right every wrong. We anticipate the blessed hope of His return; we’re ready to go, ready to wait. Meanwhile, it is often through adversity that Jesus is shaping our character and preparing us for that Day.
One of the best inventions of the 20th Century is GPS. Now when children complain in the car, “When will we get there?” we can give them an exact time of arrival! In a high-pressure world with urgent deadlines, impatience is nearly seen as a virtue, a means of success. Not for people of faith! When we question God and grow impatient for Him to act, we begin to doubt and we tend to grumble, verse 9. This word means to moan and groan and sigh in self-pity. James warns that complaining causes dissention among us. Our Lord’s return will be a day of reckoning; which means the trials we’re enduring will be vindicated. In the meantime, we let God take care of things. We long to see resolution and justice, but we’re not authorized to take some matters into our own hands. To cease complaining is part of being patient.
Waiting requires endurance, verse 10, following the example of the prophets, who kept on, in spite of harsh opposition. The people rejected their warnings and calls to national repentance…yet they kept proclaiming the truth of God. Like them, we need to cultivate a deep-seated attitude of “sticktoitiveness.”
In verse 11 James observes that “we count as blessed those who have persevered.” The word “blessed’ can mean “happy”, and it describes those who are able to rise above the trying circumstances of life. This isn’t a reward but a description of a satisfied life. Pain is inevitable; misery is optional. Patient people choose to be happy. Patience is power. James wants us to know that God cares about us when we hurt, when we’re overwhelmed with stress, when we feel like we can’t face another day. Patience isn’t just the ability to wait, but to maintain a good attitude while waiting. We don’t like being put on-hold. Patience teaches us that God is using the delays and interruptions of life for His purpose.
To reinforce his point, James offers the example of Job, who faithfully (though imperfectly) endured pain and loss. Job’s situation is a comfort to those who suffer affliction. Here was an innocent man caught in the middle of a cosmic dispute. Job had no idea what was going on behind the scenes, and God never explained His purpose. All Job knew was that he wasn’t being punished. We learn from Job that patience is not the result of understanding why. Job trusted God, in spite of unanswered questions. In the midst of his suffering, Job was able to proclaim: “Though He slay me, yet I will hope in God” (13:15).
James begins to conclude his epistle with a warning about misusing oaths--verse 12, something impatient people do. People in Bible times were quick to under-gird their words with oaths. Southern comedian Jerry Clower was known to say, “If I’m lying, I’m dying!” To swear by our lives is not our prerogative. It is better to be genuine than dramatic. Oaths were used so casually that their impact was diminished. If we’re known for our integrity, we don’t need to swear we’re telling the truth; people will know it. Our honesty should be unquestionable. This wouldn’t even be an issue if people weren’t so prone to lying.
We discover in the Fruit of the Spirit virtues that come from being connected to God. In summary, James is urging us: “Be patient till the Lord’s return.” People who have experienced profound losses become bitter or compassionate. God is discovered--not through startling displays of power or miraculous interventions--but through times of great difficulty and hardship. Through waiting.
Every day gives us opportunities to be patient. We learn from James that God does not preserve us from suffering; He preserves us in suffering. Someone said, “I have been all the way to the bottom; and it is solid.” When Jesus returns, we’ll fully realize why the Bible tells us to wait. We need to shift our focus from what is happening to us to what God is forming in us. By enduring trials with patience we set our feet on a path of spiritual maturity. And like a patient farmer, we confidently wait for God’s harvest.
Prayer: Lord of time and eternity, a Day is coming when the knowledge of Your glory will cover the Earth as the waters cover the sea. The New Jerusalem will come down from Heaven--not a day early, and not a day late. Until that Day, may we seek first Your Kingdom and righteousness. Help us to patiently choose faith over fretting. Enable us to endure the concerns and complaints of others. What a relief to know that You’re patient with us! In turn, help us to be patient with others, and may we accept the things we cannot change, trusting Your Providence. In Your strong and mighty Name, Amen.
