THE POWER OF PATIENCE
JAMES 5:7-12
INTRODUCTION:
As a young Dad pushed his son’s carriage down the street the youngster howled in rage with displeasure. "Please, Bernard, control yourself... Easy there, Bernard, Keep calm! Everything will be alright," the Father kept saying quietly. "Congratulations Sir," said a woman who had been watching. "You know just how to speak to a child... calmly, gently, and with great patience." Then she added, "Did you name little Bernard after a family member? I really like that name." "Ma’am, you don’t understand," the father said, "My son’s name is Jeffery, I’m Bernard."
I’m sure all of us at one time or another have had to talk to ourselves, about being patient. The Bible certainly has a lot to say about it. There are many references that talk about waiting and there are over 30 verses that speak specifically about being patient. We know that "Patience is a Virtue." Yet, because of our hurried up society many of us are like the lady who prayed, "Lord, I know I’m always in a hurry, so I need patience and I need it now."
Well, as we continue in our study, James emphasizes this virtue. We certainly understand that patience is needed in our daily tasks, our relationships, but here in this passage James zero’s in on an area that applies to us all. He says we must develop it in order for us to get through hard and trying times. Certainly one of the most challenging times to exercise patience is when life hands out unjust, unfair or undeserved treatment.
And I’m sure in this room there are probably people who have lost jobs, recently ended a relationship, who are suffering physically, or who are living under great financial stress. Well, God, through James wants to help us by teaching us how to react to suffering. So, let’s carefully study what James has to say because if you are not going through suffering right now, you will.. and we all can use Godly advice on how to best handle it.
I. THE EXPLANATION OF PATIENCE:
First, James explains patience by telling us to do a very difficult thing, in the face of trying times: wait. Vs:7a- “Dear brothers and sisters, you must be patient as you wait..” Patience, in this context is simply the ability to stay steadfast under trial.
Now, we need to admit, as Americans, that we have a difficult time being patient under ordinary circumstances. Waiting has probably always been a difficult virtue to master, but it is particularly hard in today’s society. We live in a rapid pace culture. We have fax machines, microwaves, the internet, & hands free cell phones. Somebody said they saw a sign the other day in one of those Mall shops that read, "Ears pierced, while you wait." Like, there’s some other way? We are a fidgety, impetuous people. And it is very difficult for us to be patient anytime, so it is no wonder that it’s near impossible for us to demonstrate patience when suffering. Even our pain medicines promise us "Fast - fast - fast" relief and the various companies vie for who can relieve you the fastest. So when we are seriously ill, emotionally distressed or under financial pressure we want a remedy in a hurry. But James says, "Be patient, endure, persevere." There are going to be times when there will be little you can do except wait.
Now, it’s a little thing to have to wait for a meal when you’re hungry but it’s a whole different matter when James tells us to exercise patience even in times of severe stress and affliction. But James adds this encouragement at the end of vs:7. "...be patient as you wait..” for what?.. “for the Lord’s coming." That’s hard but James is giving us a timeless truth: good things come with some waiting. And the best thing ever will be the reward that Jesus brings to those who have a relationship with Him.
Let’s say you’re baking a chocolate cake and your 4 year old child is watching for the first time. You might begin by sifting some flour. "Uuoo," they say, "that’s dry and looks yucky." You say, "Just wait." Then you put in some baking soda and sour milk. The batter really looks uninviting now. "I’m not going to eat that!" your child says. "Be patient," you tell them. Then you put in a raw egg. "That’s gross," they yell. You smile and say once again, "Just you wait, you’ll see." Because you know how surprised they’re going to be when later, after all the ingredients are in and the mix is baked in the oven, they’ll taste a delicious chocolate cake. The spiritual lesson is obvious isn’t it? Often in life we encounter "dry stretches" which are tasteless as flour. We also meet with "sour" experiences like the milk and even some "raw dealings" like the egg; but after we have gone through the oven of affliction, many times something beautiful in our character, in our inner soul is the result. And James says, even if the result isn’t beautiful here, you wait for the ultimate “gorgeous ending” - the Lord’s return. You wait until you taste heaven! I’ve always said that we won’t be in heaven for 2 seconds before realizing that everything we’ve gone through was worth the wait.
And he repeats that same encouragement in vs:8 - "..be patient. And take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near.”Now, the Lord is always near.. Isaiah 55:6 says “Seek the Lord while you can find him. Call upon him now while he is near.” Eph. 2:13 tells us- “..you once were far away from God, now you have been brought very near to him because of what Jesus Christ has done for you..” But here James is referring to the literal return, the 2nd coming of Jesus Christ. Over 300 times the NT promises us that there will be a moment in history when Jesus Christ will come back to the earth. And when He comes He will make all things right. No more sorrow, no more war, no more suffering. You see, Jesus’ return is a source of comfort and stimulates us to be patient because one day all the bad things we experience in this life will be gone.
II. THE EVIDENCES OF IMPATIENCE:
Now, James also gives a couple of clues how we can tell when we are not practicing patience, two evidences of impatience. Here are a couple of signs, James says, that we’re chafing under the difficulties of life.
(1) Grumbling- vs:9- “Don’t grumble about each other.. or God will judge you.” When we are suffering, there’s a natural inclination to grumble and attack others. "Why didn’t the Drs. diagnose this problem sooner?" "Why did God allow this?" "I can’t believe the Coach picked him to start as QB!" James says grumbling is a tell-tale sign that we are not practicing patience. In fact, it tells us just the opposite, we’re on edge, we’re mad. You can even hear it in the word..
“Grrrr-umbling.”
And God considers grumbling or complaining a very serious sin because it is an indication that you really don’t trust Him. Our impatience is an indication that we really don’t believe that He is going to care for us, that He’s going to provide what is ultimately the best for us. That’s why Phil. 2:14 says, “Do everything without complaining or grumbling.”(GW) Let’s say that together... again. Now, if you’re thinking, “I hate it when he does that,” then you haven’t caught the spirit of this. God is trying to instill within us a spirit of gratitude not of grumbling.
Now, another indication of impatience is swearing. Look at vs:12- “But most of all, my brothers and sisters, never take an oath, by heaven or earth or anything else. Just say a simple yes or no, so that you will not sin and be condemned for it.” Throughout this little letter James a couple of times said- “control your tongue.”There is a direct connection between our tongue and our heart. But James is not stressing the absence of profanity here. He is cautioning about oath taking. He is saying that in our impatience sometimes we can use something sacred for the purpose of supporting what we’re saying. "I swear to God, I’ll never do it again." “I swear on a stack of Bibles that I was there." I swear on my mothers grave that I didn’t say that." We are to simply say, "I’ll never do it again. I was there. I didn’t say that." Simply put, “Mean what you say.”
And then I think too, James is referring to the fact that sometimes we think we can make promises hold more weight by oath taking. Ever hear someone during a tough time say something like: "I swore to God if He would heal her I would go back to Church." -or-"If God will just come through with this job, I swear, I’ll stop drinking." James says, “Don’t do that.”James is simply asking us to, instead of showing impatience that bring hasty and reckless promises, to simply say, "God, even if things don’t work out like I want them, still will I trust you, I know you are able to handle anything." In other words just be so credible in your speech, even when you’re under stress, that you don’t grumble, swear & lash out or blame God for your plight.
III. THE EXAMPLES OF PATIENT PEOPLE:
Now, in this passage James cites 3 positive examples of patience. And there are three lessons from these examples that I want us to apply to our lives.
The first is the faithful farmer- look at vs:7- “Consider the farmers who eagerly look for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They patiently wait for the precious harvest to ripen.” My father and mother lived in Louisville, Ky. In the early 90’s and lived in a rural enough area where they can grow a garden. My father planted sweet corn and when we went and visited one summer the corn had grown to about 5 feet. My “citified” children were amazed to see corn and especially that Grandpa had been able to get stocks of corn from the little seed that he showed them. As we were looking at the corn we noticed some early sprouting ears and my Father explained that they were not ready to eat yet. Well, Rusty, my then 9 year old, asked, "Well, how do you know? Why don’t we get them off the branches and open `em up to see how they look?" (That kind of sums up the Smith family farm knowledge) Of course my Dad explained that to do that would kill the ears because they were not ready to be picked. But I do know that if you’re going to be a farmer you can’t be impatient. The farmer has to be patient. He plants the seed but depends on the rains to mature the crop that he has planted. And the point here, is that the farmer has no control over the rain.
And there are a whole lot of circumstances in this life that are beyond your control and there is nothing that you can do about them. The farmer can’t count on the rain, he can only hope for it. Same with us sometimes. There are times when things happen in this fallen world that you can’t control. It’s no one’s fault it’s just this imperfect life. And there is no use worrying, there’s no use grumbling, there’s no use swearing, there’s no use making life miserable for all those around you. All you can do is wait, but you can also place your trust in God to take care of it. Listen, God can use all things to our benefit, if we will allow Him to. “We also have joy with our troubles, because we know that these troubles produce patience. And patience produces character, and character produces hope. And this hope will never disappoint us, because God has poured out his love to fill our hearts.”(Rom. 5:3 - NCV)
I think Jamie, who has cancer in “Walk to Remember,”understands this attitude.
{Movie clip “Walk To Remember” Start: Chap. 25:1:25:00 - End: 25:1:28:00 =3:00}
Did you notice how Jamie is handling her trial? She trusts God even though she’s sick. “Maybe God, has a bigger plan for me than I have for myself, like this journey never ends.” “Love is patient..” That includes being patient with God, even during times of difficulty, because we understand he wants our ultimate best.
So here’s the first lesson: Some suffering is beyond your control. So, trust God and do what you can. Don’t just sit and do nothing, that increases your anxiety. You do what you can. You go to the Doctor, you take your medicine, you send out resumes, you read the Bible, you pray, you do your part. But if there are circumstances beyond your control then turn the matter over to God and trust Him to take care of it. Psalm 27:14 reads, "Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord." Sometimes life deals you blows where you have to be brave and courageous. But in those times who are you going to trust? When the Doctor says, “There’s nothing else we can do.” Or the boss says, “I’m sorry we have to lay you off.” Or you learn of a loved one’s death. Who you going to depend on then? Yourself? This world’s solutions? No, James says, "They patiently wait for the precious harvest to ripen." The farmer knows there are circumstances beyond his control, so he’s patient and trusts the Lord. So must we.
The second example that James gives is the OT prophets- vs:10- “For examples of patience in suffering.. look at the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.” Now, the prophets were God’s spokesman, the preachers of that day, but they were not exempt from hurting. In fact, the Bible tells us they were right in the middle of it. The prophet Ezekiel’s wife died, on the day right before he was to deliver an important message. Daniel, a young Jew, was taken into a foreign country as a hostage. The prophet Hosea, had a wife who was unfaithful. Jeremiah was called the "weeping prophet" because his people were so mad at his message to turn from their sin that they beat him up. And so many times when things go wrong we want to cry out- "Oh, God, why is this happening to me? What have I done wrong? Why are you punishing me like this." But these prophets were walking in the will of God and yet they suffered.
So, here’s the second lesson I want us to learn: Most suffering is not punishment for sin. Listen to what Jeremiah said to the people after they were taken by enemies and made slaves in Babylon. Jer.29:5- "Build houses, and live in them. Plant gardens, and eat what they produce. Get married, and have sons and daughters. Find wives for your sons, and let your daughters get married so that they can have sons and daughters. Grow in number there; don’t decrease. Work for the good of the city where I’ve taken you as captives, and pray to the Lord for that city. When it prospers, you will also prosper.”(GW) God was saying to them, "I know this is not where you want to be, I know that you would rather be in Jerusalem, I know you want to be free. But your going to stay there for awhile so make the best of it." Now, maybe you’re not living where you want to live, maybe you don’t have the job you’d like, maybe your situation isn’t ideal. But, more than likely it’s not punishment, it’s just circumstances.
The important question is what are you doing in the meantime? Between the time you’re sick and the time you’re well? What do you do in the meantime.. between the time you lose your job and the time you get the next one? What do you do in the meantime.. between the time your daughter announces she’s getting married to the guy you don’t like and the time when she has that grandchild whose the prettiest and smartest child ever born? The majority of our suffering is not punishment. And it’s time for some of us to realize that and to keep on playing even though we are hurting. The O.T. prophets remained faithful even though they were persecuted & James encourages us to do the same.
One other example of patience that James gives is of a man named Job. Vs:11- “Job is an example of a man who endured patiently. From his experience we see how the Lord’s plan finally ended in good, for he is full of tenderness and mercy.” I don’t care how much you’re hurting today, none of you hurt as much as Job did. Job’s cattle alone were estimated to be worth $6 million and in one day he lost, not only his cattle but all of his possessions. And then a worse blow came. Job had 10 children and one day they were feasting in the oldest son’s home and a wind storm came and killed them all! And then his health broke to the point where he would try to scrape boils off his skin. Anything to get rid of them. But Job stayed faithful. He asked a lot of questions, like Jamie he wasn’t exactly sure what God was doing, but he didn’t lose his trust. And through all that suffering he said things like, "Even if the Lord slay me, still will I trust him."(13:15 NKJV) and "The Lord has given and the lord has taken away. Blessed be the Name of the Lord!"(1:20 NKJV) And James says, in the end God blessed Job. In fact, when you read that story you see that God gave back Job twice as much as he had before because of His mercy and compassion. Job had 7000 sheep before, now he had 14,000. He had 3000 camels, now at the end of his life God gave him 6000 camels. Job had 500 yoke of oxen and at the end of his life God gave him 1000 oxen. Job had 10 children, he lost them all and at the end of his life you know what God gave him? 10 more children. Why didn’t God give him 20? Because He’s full of compassion and mercy. You know, 20 kids would not have been a blessing.
So, here’s the final lesson. All suffering is temporary, the best is yet to come. God has promised that no matter how bad it gets God has the ultimate reward. James says you are blessed if you persevere. You’ve seen what the Lord did for Job and He is full of compassion and mercy. The Hebrew writer may have said it best, "Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed - that exhilarating finish in and with God -he could put up with anything along the way: cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God." (Heb. 12:2 Msg.)
There was a woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and given three months to live. So, as she was getting her things "in order," she contacted her Pastor and had him come to her house to discuss certain aspects of her funeral. After discussing what she wanted for her service she then said, "There’s one more thing, this is very important. I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand." The pastor stood looking at the woman, not knowing quite what to say. "Does my request surprise you?" the woman asked. "Oh yeah,” said the Pastor, “I’m very puzzled." The woman explained, "In all my years of attending church socials and potluck dinners, I always remember that when the main course dishes were being cleared, someone would often say, ’Folks, keep your fork.’ It was my favorite part because I knew something better was coming... like velvety chocolate cake or deep-dish apple pie. Something wonderful, and with substance! So, I just want people to see me there in that casket with a fork in my hand and I want them to wonder ’What’s with the fork?’ Then I want you to tell them: ’Keep your fork...the best is yet to come.’ " God promises that he will reward those who persevere through pain. That’s not my promise that’s His and you can trust it.
So, let’s remember these three lessons: Some suffering is beyond your control, so trust God and do what you can. Most suffering is not punishment for sin, it’s just the result of an imperfect, fallen world. All suffering is temporary, the best is yet to come.
When Napoleon of France fought Wellington of England, all England waited patiently for word of the decisive battle at Waterloo. When the message came to London it was relayed by the flags on top of the Winchester cathedral. The flags on the cathedral began to spell it out: "Wellington defeated..." But before the message could be completed, a heavy fog moved in. Gloom filled the hearts of the people as the fragmentary news spread throughout the surrounding countryside. But when the mists began to lift, it became evident that the signals of Winchester Cathedral had really spelled out the triumphant message: "Wellington defeated the enemy!" And when you feel defeated and find yourself in the fog of growing impatience I urge you to look to the clear promises here in James and see “how the Lord’s plan finally ends in good, for he is full of tenderness and mercy.”
{All scripture taken from the New Living Translation unless otherwise noted.)
