When you see a patient person, you’ve seen something rare. For it takes supernatural power to be patient. We live in a world obsessed with speed. We become angry if the video doesn’t download immediately or the fast food lines take too long. And who likes waiting in a doctor’s office, or waiting two minutes on an elevator, or staring about at the walls inside the DMV all afternoon? Yes, we love our speed. Actress Carrie Fisher has said, “These days even instant gratification takes too long.” Of course, we speed everything up in our day. So we used to dial; now we speed dial. We used to read; now we speed read. We used to walk; now we speed walk. And of course, we used to date, and now we even speed date.
All men praise patience but few practice it. Many think it only takes willpower to be patient. No, it takes supernatural power to be patient. Today, I want to talk to you about how you can develop your patience.
A Desire to Change
By the way …. do you have a desire to change? Let me ask you, “What is the one thing you want said about you at your funeral?” “What epitaph would you want to place on your tombstone?” We’re in a summer teaching series devoted to bringing the change into our lives that we’ve always longed for. These nine virtues are the real signs the Spirit is in and with you. It’s a series devoted to advocating living life with the fruit of the Spirit: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things, there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23). When these traits are all present in your life, God says these are the traits that you’ve been supernaturally changed.
Today, I want to share with you the secret of patience and the secret of endurance. By a show of hands, are you by nature a patient person? If you were to assign a percentage to your level of patience, what would it be? Is anyone at 100% on the patience level? Let me encourage you today by saying this no one is born patient. For patience is a work of the Holy Spirit. Let’s discover how to become a patient person…
“Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days. Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you. Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.” (James 5:1-11)
Do you know just important it is to be patient? The Bible tells us God gives His followers strength to be patient: “May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy…” (Colossians 1:11). And isn’t an inner strength needed to be patient?
It’s so easy to be impatient, but it takes supernatural power to be patient. Thinking of the importance of patience, one of the distinguishing characteristics of real love is this: “love is patient” (1 Corinthians 13:4). And it is through patience that the Bible tells us that we will receive eternal life itself (Romans 2:7). Don’t underestimate patience for a minute. Against, the backdrop of economic injustice, today’s passage mentions some form of patience five times.
James tells us to “Be patient” in the early part of verse seven and again at the end of verse seven. He repeats the command to “Be patient” again in verse eight. He mentions “patience” again in verse ten before telling us to remain steadfast twice in verse eleven. To further push us toward patience, we are told to be patient like a farmer waits for his harvest. We are to think of the great prophets of the Old Testament who showed patience in the midst of suffering. And lastly, when we consider the practice of patience, we are to remain steadfast like Job, who suffered so. The reason James is so insistent on telling you the virtues of patience is he knows you’re going to need patience.
1) Patience Has an Expiration Date
1.1 The Need for Patience
Learning to wait is a hard lesson in life, especially when life isn’t going your way. Our lives often take detours and delays from our desired course. And we question God’s wisdom – does He know what He is doing? We question God’s goodness – how could He delay if He loves me? We read where the Bible teaches the wealthy to share their wealth with the poor. Yet, we see in our day that the rich become richer, and the poor become poorer. “Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts” (James 5:4).
Few things anger us, like the suffering of the poor at the hand of the wealthy. Whenever we encounter injustice, our hearts long to rectify the situation. Yet, the Bible calls on the persecuted to be patient.
We are going to learn a little Greek today, and I hope you find it practical. Look again at the word “patience” in verse 7 of your Bible. The word “patience” in verse 7 is the word “makrothuméo.” The word macros, of course, means “large” or “long,” while thumós means “anger.” There are two words that are usually used in the Bible for anger. There are several words in Greek to describe anger, but thumos means an emotional blaze, or “flare-up.” So, makrothuméo simply means literally “a long blaze.” Essentially, it takes a lot to get your dander up. God is telling you it should take a long time before you lash out in anger.
“Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him” (James 1:12).
God tells His people to wait patiently to allow Him to do His work.
1.2 God’s Pace
God’s pace is different than ours. James tells us to look back at the Old Testament prophets to see an example of this (James 5:10).
David (Not a OT prophet)
Years after Moses, there’s King David, who was told He was going to be the king over Israel. God’s prophet anoints him, and he’s told he will be king over Israel. But David must wait before being king before jealous King Saul will relinquish his throne. In a compelling story in 1 Samuel 24, David is on the run from Saul in Engedi. Saul has three crack battalions roaming the countryside, looking to take out David. There is a cave in Engedi, the Bible tells us that King Saul is relieving himself. He isn’t aware that David is hiding in the interior of the cave. David’s friends tell David, “Here’s your chance to get rid of Saul.” Yet, David sneaks up on Saul and only cuts off the edge of Saul’s robe. He explains later that he couldn’t kill King Saul because only God has the right to depose Israel’s king. David’s argument is that ultimately Saul has taken on the Lord, and the Lord will show everyone that David is in the right. When Saul leaves the cave at some distance, David comes out of the cave and holds up the piece of cloth before King Saul. As if to say, “I could have taken your life, but I choose not to do so.” Saul's response is telling: “And now, behold, I know that you shall surely be king and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hand” (2 Samuel 24:20). Everyone else says to David, “Now is your time to seize your kingdom.” Even Saul admits that David is Israel’s rightful king. Yet, David waits on God’s time. Faith is at the core of David’s patience. He believes in God’s promise that one day he will be king. David is a stunning example of patience as he waits on the Lord to act.
The truth of the matter is this: God’s pace is different than ours. God’s schedule is not my schedule. David has no idea WHEN he will be king, but he knows that he WILL be King. You thought you would have the promotion by now. You thought you would be married by now.
1.3 Be Patient Like the Farmer
James gives us a model of waiting: “See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it until it receives the early and the late rains” (James 5:7b). God’s model of a farmer a model for patient waiting is pregnant with meaning. For the farmer knows there are no shortcuts to seeing a great harvest. Farmers wait to till, they wait to plant, and they wait to prune. Farmers wait on a number of factors they have no control over – rain, heat, and market prices. The sun goes up, and the sun goes down, and still, they wait. The weeks pass by, and the farmer waits … patiently. God wants you to have long patience like the farmer, for his crops do not come in the first month.
Anyone who prays will need to know delayed gratification. Again, why should I wait? Because patience has an Expiration Date and the Expiration Date is the Second Coming of Christ. God will take care of the justice issue at the Second Coming. He essentially says to you: “Don’t worry about justice. Let me worry about perfect justice.” Instead, God wants us to have a long fuse before we become angry with injustice. God, in His wisdom, believes there is a purpose in suffering injustice.
We are not to assume God’s role: “Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord” (James 5:7a). Just like the farmer doesn’t see immediate results, so you will not see immediate justice. Life will not go your way. Yet, be patient and suffer long, for God has a purpose for you in the classroom of suffering. Now, don’t mistake patience for permission to sin. Don’t mistake patience for the indulgence of injustice. “And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them” (Luke 18:7)? Instead, patience is the trustful waiting that despite all we do to rectify injustice … … and all we cannot do to remedy discrimination and pain in the life… … God will deal with injustice perfectly in His time. The truth is: when you grow in faith, you’ll grow in patience.
Patience Has an Expiration Date
2) Patient People Seldom Grumble
Impatience is deadly to your spirit. Impatient is drinking rat poison for your soul. Impatience shrinks you up on the inside and shrivels your very soul. That’s why God’s Word tells us this warning against grumbling: “Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door” (James 5:9).
How do you know if you are impatient? You grumble. Earlier, I asked you to rate your patience level from 1%-100%, now, what’s your percentage of grumbling? Does anyone grumble just 0% of your life? Look underneath your impatience for a moment as to why you are so impatient. I can think of two reasons for my impatience and my grumbling…
2.1 I’m Self-Entitled
I should not be interrupted. I should not have to wait on you. I should not have to wait on slow WIFI. And I certainly do not need any airport delays when I am traveling. Most of us have Mr. Impatience lurking inside of us. Mr. Impatience says, “It is my right to have everything I want when I want it.” Know this the next time Mr. Impatience rises up inside you: the root of impatience is selfishness.
2.2 I Don’t Fully Trust God
Impatience is deadly to your soul, for impatience says, “God, you don’t know what you are doing.” If you’re going to have patience, you’re going to need faith. You cannot have true patience without faith. “for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness” (James 1:3). For faith fuels patience and delayed gratification. Faith tells us that God is working all things for our good and His good (Romans 8:28).
God doesn’t want His people to take the judgment of the wicked into our own hands. Take a moment to turn to Romans 12:19-21 for a moment for God’s Word is really specific on this point: “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’ To the contrary, ‘if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:19-21). We are told that, “hurt people hurt people.” That is, people who are hurt often hurt others because of their hurt. How do you take the hurt out of you before you hurt others? By knowing this: God has a purpose for you to suffer in the school of injustice. Remember, God’s pace is different than your pace. And God isn’t on your schedule.
Patience Has an Expiration Date
Patient People Seldom Grumble
3) Patience Requires Fortitude
“Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful” (James 5:11).
3.1 Job
Now there are many who speak of the Old Testament as if it were worn out; yet I find it to be as fresh as anything I’ve encountered. Though it is old, it hasn’t lost its force. Job was incredibly wealthy and in a period of two days, he lost everything. Job’s children were killed. His flocks were gone and his house was a wreck. As he sat with sores all over his body, his mind must have turned over this thought: “God is judging me.” Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die” (Job 2:9). God allowed Satan to take everything away from him except his nagging wife.
3.2 Hupoméno
“Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful” (James 5:11).
Now the word “steadfast” is the Greek word hupoméno. Méno means to stand or stay and hupó is the little prefix from which we get our English prefix hyper. What the word endurance actually transliterates into is to “hyperstay” or to “hyperstand.” To hyperstand means you put your feet down and nothing can knock you off your feet. It’s like you’re in a river, but you can stand in the river. You’re hyperstanding no matter how much the river is flowing.
Benjamin B. Warfield was a world-renowned theologian who taught at Princeton Seminary for almost 34 years until his death on February 16, 1921. Some of you have some of his books on your shelves as I do. But what most people don’t know is that in 1876, at the age of 25, he married Annie Kinkead and took a honeymoon to Germany. It was there in Germany that a fierce storm arose and Annie was struck by lightning. She was permanently paralyzed. After caring for her for 39 years Warfield laid her to rest in 1915. Because of her extraordinary needs, Warfield seldom left his home for more than two hours at a time during all those years of marriage.
It takes supernatural power to be patient. Don’t you want to be a more durable person? In a throwaway culture, don’t you want to stick to something?
